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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27736999">Phantom of Middleton</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Howardblake02/pseuds/Howardblake02'>Howardblake02</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>American Dragon: Jake Long, Danny Phantom, Kim Possible (Cartoon), Totally Spies</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Action &amp; Romance, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Family, Friendship, Multi, Multiple Crossovers</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-05-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 18:54:29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>99,405</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27736999</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Howardblake02/pseuds/Howardblake02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Danny Fenton was exhausted. Ever since his family moved to Middleton when he was five, life had been easy. He had good friends, good grades, and a loving (if a bit eccentric) family. Unfortunately, life was never easy ever since he got zapped by the Ghost Portal. Now all he knew were sleepless nights trying to catch runaway ghosts. Come to think of it, maybe he could use some help.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>29</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Prologue</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hey, guys. If anyone came from fanfic.net then don't worry it's me. I'm just posting the same story on a different site so that other people can read/comment. I'm pretty proud of this story concept I've thought up and I wanted to share it with more people and get their thoughts and opinions on it. I'm still getting used to how things work on this site compared to the other one so bear with me if it isn't the best. Anyway, hope you enjoy.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p>
<hr/><p>Middleton High school was in full swing this Tuesday morning. Teenagers were strolling around, idly chatting with their friends and goofing off before their next class. One teenager in particular was rummaging through his cluttered locker.</p><p>"Ron, we're going to be late!" Kim Possible, world renowned teen hero, scolded her friend lightly. She rolled her eyes as she watched him toss out a rotten banana that must have been weeks old.</p><p>"Just a sec KP," Ron Stoppable said, throwing out another crumpled piece of paper. "I gotta get Rufus out of here or else he might miss spirit week. The little guy would be crushed."</p><p>"Yeah, by the amount of stuff you have in there." Kim said.</p><p>Ron shouted in triumph as he finally found what he was looking for. "Rufus!"</p><p>In his hand, a tiny pink naked mole rat yawned and stretched as if it just woke up from a nap.</p><p>Kim didn't know why but her best friend just absolutely refused to get a normal pet for himself. She was just about to say as much but then her train of thought took a nosedive when Josh walked by. She barely even noticed the hand that was waving in front of her face.</p><p>"Hello? Kim? You there?" Ron said, snapping her out of her crush induced daze.</p><p>"Huh? Did you say something Ron?" Kim said, watching as Josh walked away after putting up a poster for the upcoming dance on Friday.</p><p>He followed her line of sight and spotted Mankey disappearing down the hall.</p><p>Ron shook his head. "Kim Possible, all around crime fighter and shark wrestler, afraid of a teenage guy."</p><p>"A really hot teenage guy," Kim corrected. "I just can't seem to find the right moment to ask him to the dance."</p><p>A familiar beeping tone sounded from her backpack and she quickly brought out her communicator or as she liked to call it, the "Kimmunicator".</p><p>"Talk to me Wade." Kim said. The screen displayed a young boy surrounded by multiple computers.</p><p>"Meet me at your locker." He said before he disconnected the call.</p><p>The two teens rushed down the halls but someone had just rounded the corner around the same time as they did. Kim collided into the person and fell backward on her butt.</p><p>"Are you okay?" She heard him say before a hand was offered to her and she took it.</p><p>"Yeah, I'm fine. Sorry." Kim said. She finally got a good look at who she ran into and she had to hold back a startled gasp.</p><p>Deep sky blue eyes peered back at her and for some reason she found herself at a loss for words. The boy standing in front of her was slightly taller than both her and Ron, a fact that she never noticed before. He wore a plain black shirt under his unzipped white jacket along with jeans and sneakers. He didn't look as freakish as the rumors made him out to be. In fact, he looked quite, dare she say it, kind of cute.</p><p>"Uh do I have something on my face?" He asked.</p><p>As soon as the words left his mouth, Kim flushed as she realized that she had been staring at him. "No! No, it's just-"</p><p>"Kim, we got a mission remember?" Ron reminded her before she could finish.</p><p>"Right, um we'll just get going." Kim excused herself and resumed their dash to her locker.</p><p>"See you around Danny!" Ron called back.</p><p>The raven-haired teen gave him a two finger salute in return before walking off in the opposite direction.</p><p>Kim sent a questioning look toward her friend.</p><p>"What?" Ron asked. "I hang out with him sometimes. He's a cool dude. I don't know why everyone avoids him."</p><p>"We'll talk about this later." Kim said, a tad bit annoyed that her best friend failed to mention that fact.</p><p>They opened her locker and found Wade printing out their new mission. Apparently, Dr. Drakken was in Tokyo taking over a video game factory of all places. While Ron excitedly chattered about the new Z-boy as they made their way out of school, her thoughts drifted back towards the boy she had heard a lot about but never truly interacted with until today.</p><p>She had to admit that she was a bit curious as to how Ron of all people managed to approach Danny Fenton, the enigma of Middleton High.</p>
<hr/><p>Danny sighed as he shoved his locker closed after putting away the books he won't need for the night. The day seemed to drag on longer than he thought. Fortunately for him, he actually managed to make it to school on time, which was a rare occurrence nowadays. Danny not being tardy meant that Mr. Barkin had no reason to assign him detention.</p><p>Best of all, there wasn't a single ghost attack for the past two nights. Two nights of a full uninterrupted sleep had never felt so good…</p><p>Double checking his bag, he zipped it close and started to navigate through the waves of students that were all heading home. To be honest, it wasn't that hard. Everyone pretty much thought he was invisible and anyone else who did acknowledge his presence quickly veered away from him. Yep, that was just one of the perks of being the resident outcast.</p><p>It all started a year ago after his accident down in his parent's lab. He had tried convincing himself that it had all been some messed up dream until he literally fell through the floor of his own room. And so it all went downhill from there. To the rest of his classmates, it was as if he had suddenly forgotten how to walk and use his hands with how clumsy he became. It got so bad that he wasn't even allowed to handle beakers and other school equipment after he broke a couple dozen. However, what they didn't know was that it was just his ghost powers acting up.</p><p>If he had known that trying to fix that portal to cheer his parents up would give him ghost powers, then he probably would have never even set foot in the lab to begin with and would have just bought them a cake or something to cheer them up. His abilities were more trouble than they were worth.</p><p>It was an absolute nightmare for the first month. Trying to evade the notice of his parents, the leading ghost experts in the entire world, was no easy feat. Granted that his parents could be a bit dense at times, but they still managed to keep him on his toes by building new inventions that never failed to either be useful to him or be a pain in the ass.</p><p>Danny had been planning to tell them early on but every time the opportunity presented itself, he always ended up blurting out something else. The phrase "rip apart molecule by molecule" that his parents often used when talking about ghosts never failed to trigger his instinct for self-preservation, but it was more than that. He was afraid of how they would react to the news. Would they be happy that their son was into the ghost hunting business? Would they be angry because of all the lies or disappointed by his lack of trust?</p><p>Danny wished he had the answers because he sure as hell didn't know, but for the time being, his parents were better off not knowing, especially after the reunion in Wisconsin…</p><p>He had no idea how long this truce between them would last but if he exposed himself now, there was no telling what the other one would do.</p><p>It was becoming harder to pull the curtain over his parents nowadays due to the fact that Jazz already left for college. She had been the only person to figure out his secret and had even covered for him whenever she could. There were several close calls that would have revealed his secret had Jazz not been there. Danny would never admit this to her in person but he really did miss his older sister. She was always the voice of reason that kept him grounded.</p><p>The young half-ghost let out a morose sigh at the way his life turned out. He had been too busy thinking about the events of the past year that he didn't realize where his feet were taking him. He now stood just outside the open double doors of the gym where the cheerleaders of Middleton High were practicing.</p><p>"Go Mad Dogs! Go Mad Dogs!"</p><p>The cheerleaders chanted along to the beat of their choreography. They've been practicing the new routine for over a week and they nearly have it down perfectly. The finale was an incomplete pyramid formation because unfortunately, their so-called captain was called away on another mission.</p><p>"Good job girls, I think we're done for today." Bonnie spoke to the rest of the girls. "Same time tomorrow,"</p><p>"Think Kim will be here for it?" One of the girls asked sarcastically. It had become something of an inside joke among them. They had nothing against their captain but sometimes it was frustrating to have Kim away when they needed to practice.</p><p>"Oh, who knows?" Another replied. "Let's just go home, my feet are killing me."</p><p>"Okay let's pack it up!" Bonnie said and they all started heading towards the changing rooms.</p><p>As they picked up their bags, Bonnie overheard a couple of her team members mumbling with each other and pointing at the doors. Curiously, she followed their gaze and was surprised to see a person standing there watching them. She knew who he was right away by the jacket and his trademark messy raven hair. As soon as Bonnie made eye contact with said person, he immediately ducked his head and left.</p><p>"Man what a freak." Chelsea, one of their members whispered to her friend.</p><p>"Yeah, I know right?" her friend, Emily, replied. "And apparently he's a creep too. How long has he been standing there?"</p><p>"You shut your stupid face, bitch!" Someone hissed out.</p><p>The two girls were surprised by the fierce glare Bonnie was giving them. They also noted how the girl's hands were clenched into fists at her side.</p><p>"Whoa, chill out Bonnie." Chelsea said. "What's the big deal?"</p><p>"Yeah, I mean even you have to admit how weird Fenton is." Emily added. "Something's not right with that guy."</p><p>"Shut the hell up!" Bonnie got right up in their faces. "If I hear you say one more thing about Danny, I will personally make your lives a living hell, got it?"</p><p>The two girls gulped and hastily nodded before rushing out of the gym, not wanting to inflict any more of Bonnie's wrath.</p><p>The tan girl watched the two tramps leave before feeling a hand on her shoulder. She turned to see her friend Tara, giving her a sad smile.</p><p>"Don't say it Tara." Bonnie snapped at the blonde.</p><p>The girl gave a dejected sigh. "Please, Bonnie? You know how Danny is and at this rate, he won't want to talk to us if he thinks you're still mad at him."</p><p>"I am still mad at him!" Bonnie growled. "It's been a year Tara! He's had plenty of chances to come talk to us. Obviously he doesn't care, so why should we make an effort?"</p><p>"But I do!" Tara argued. "I care and so do you. The three of us have been friends since first grade. There has to be a reason why he's avoiding us all this time."</p><p>"Don't you get it Tara? Danny doesn't want to be friends with us anymore!" Bonnie exclaimed heatedly. "He doesn't talk to us for a month after his accident and when we do finally manage to corner him, he blows up in our faces! Do you think you're the only one who wants things to go back to the way they were? Do you think you're the only one who cried herself to sleep when our best friend told us he didn't want to be around us anymore?!"</p><p>By this point, tears were freely trailing down Bonnie's face as she ended her rant and Tara wasn't any better off. Before she knew it, the blonde had already wrapped her arms around her friend and the two of them quietly sobbed. Fortunately for them, the rest of their team had already left the school so there was no one there to witness their tears.</p><p>"I just miss him, so much." Bonnie sniffled, pulling away from the hug.</p><p>"Me too." Tara said wiping her tear stained face with her hands.</p><p>And so, the two friends made their way to the locker rooms to change out of their cheerleading uniforms before heading home. Their thoughts still turned to a certain raven-haired boy who had always been there for them through thick and thin. Nowadays, they were lucky to even catch a glimpse of him at school.</p><p>Sometimes, they couldn't help but think how much of a ghost Danny has become in their lives…</p>
<hr/><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. No Rest For The Weary</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"See ya tomorrow KP!" Ron called out, waving as he headed home.</p>
<p>Kim turned in the other direction and started walking toward her house. The two friends had just gotten back from Japan where Drakken and Shego managed to escape with an entire factory. Although to be honest, she had no idea what her arch enemy wanted with a video game assembly line. The mad scientist's schemes only seemed to get weirder with every encounter.</p>
<p>Wade was currently tracking Drakken's movements and he would contact her the moment he got a hit on something.</p>
<p>It was an hour past midnight when she reached the Possible residence and she tried to be as quiet as she could when she entered so as not to wake anyone. However, she was a bit surprised to learn she wasn't the only one still up at this hour judging from the light and sounds coming from the living room.</p>
<p>"What are you tweebs doing?" Kim asked suspiciously, placing her hands on her hips.</p>
<p>Her twin brothers jumped at the sound of her voice.</p>
<p>"Don't sneak up on us like that!" Jim said in a hushed tone.</p>
<p>"Yeah, and keep it down." Tim added before turning back to the television.</p>
<p>"Shouldn't you two be in bed?" Kim said before turning her attention to what they were watching. Surprisingly, it was some sort of news story. "And what's so interesting about this that you had to sneak down here and watch it at one o'clock in the morning?"</p>
<p>"Shut up, it's starting." Jim shushed her.</p>
<p>"In other news, local residents of downtown Lowerton reported a disturbance call to the police earlier this evening. Residents claimed to have heard a series of loud noises coming from the streets as well as a series of flashing green lights. However, when police came onto the scene, they found nothing but a broken street lamp as well as a destroyed mini-van. The investigators believe that this disturbance may be related to the many similar occurrences throughout the city these past two months. The local authorities managed to acquire footage from a nearby traffic camera which caught part of the incident."</p>
<p>The screen then cut to a recording from the said street cam that was focused on a small intersection. The street was empty save for a homeless man pushing an old shopping cart full of odds and trinkets. The old man was simply crossing the road when he suddenly gained a look of panic. He was staring at something down the opposite road where the camera had no visual. Whatever he saw must have been frightening because the homeless person started running as far away as he could, not even hesitating to leave his shopping cart behind.</p>
<p>A few seconds after, the homeless person was no longer visible on the camera, a sudden flash of green engulfed the street that caused the street cam to lose focus for a bit as it tried to adjust from the unexpected source of light. However, while the camera was recovering, a blurry hulking form lumbered past the street followed by a fast yet smaller form. The footage then paused as the reporter came back on screen.</p>
<p>"The only witness during the time of the supposed encounter was identified as Aaron Stevenson, a fifty year old male who was recently unemployed. The police have yet to issue an official statement regarding the incident…"</p>
<p>The newscast then showcased another headline, something about sightings of dragons in New York but apparently the twins had already lost interest.</p>
<p>"That…" Jim said.</p>
<p>"Was…" Tim continued.</p>
<p>"Awesome!" The two exclaimed in unison as they high-fived each other.</p>
<p>The light switch to the living room abruptly flicked on and standing next to it were two very unhappy parents still clad in their pajamas.</p>
<p>"Uh oh…"</p>
<p>"Hey don't look at me, I just got here." Kim raised her hands in surrender.</p>
<p>"BOYS!"</p>
<hr/>
<p>Tara tried her best to keep up with the calculus lesson, she really did, but unfortunately, her mind was elsewhere at the moment. She stole a glance at the empty seat beside her and couldn't help but wonder what kind of excuse Danny would make up this time. It was already second period and he was running late…again.</p>
<p>She just didn't get it. Where does he go all the time? What was so important that he had to skip class for it? Was he alright?</p>
<p>Questions floated through her mind that she desperately wanted the answers to. She wanted to know why he started avoiding everyone, even going so far as to alienate himself from the entire student body and ignore his two best friends since childhood. It just didn't make any sense for Danny Fenton, the boy who she thought of as the brother she never had, to just up and leave them like this.</p>
<p>"Well, well, well. Look who decided to show up today." The teacher announced. Tara looked up from her notebook just in time to see Danny stumble through the door. "You know the drill Mr. Fenton."</p>
<p>Her friend just gave a resigned sigh and took the detention slip without complaint. A few members of the class snickered at the young man's predicament and Tara scowled at them. The raven-haired teen wordlessly took his spot beside her and began taking down notes.</p>
<p>The blonde discreetly studied her friend from the corner of her eyes. Frankly, he looked exhausted. There were dark circles under his eyes and Tara could see he was struggling to keep himself awake. The shirt beneath his jacket was inside out, meaning he must have dressed in a hurry. He shifted in his seat and when he did, something caught her attention that made her stifle a gasp.</p>
<p>Wrapped around his wrist underneath his left jacket sleeve was a bandage that was splotched with red blood.</p>
<p>She must have been staring at it too intently because Danny noticed what she was looking at and immediately pulled his sleeves over the bandage. Tara gave her friend a questioning look but as usual he tried his best to ignore her. Well, she wasn't having it this time.</p>
<p>"Ms. Turner! Danny needs to go to the nurse's office!" Tara called the teacher's attention. Heads swiveled in her direction.</p>
<p>"And why would he need to?" Ms. Turner raised an inquisitive eyebrow.</p>
<p>Tara reached over and grabbed Danny's sleeve before he had time to react. He gave a surprised yelp in protest until she pulled his sleeves up to reveal his bandages but to her shock and worry, the white medical wrap actually extended all the way up to his elbow.</p>
<p>"I see your point Ms. Strong." Ms. Turner said after a slight pause. "Please take Mr. Fenton to the nurse."</p>
<p>She smiled triumphantly while Danny reluctantly followed her out of the classroom.</p>
<p>The two of them walked the halls in awkward silence. Now that the two of them were finally alone, Tara wanted to start a conversation but for the life of her she didn't know what to say. When did it all turn out like this? In the past, she could talk to Danny about anything and everything but now, she might as well be walking next to a complete stranger.</p>
<p>She hated it.</p>
<p>"You're welcome, you know." Tara spoke, a hint of bitterness leaking out.</p>
<p>"I didn't need your help." Danny said calmly. "I'm fine."</p>
<p>"Bullshit!"</p>
<p>The raven-haired teen looked slightly taken back by her sudden fierce response. He knew that she rarely cursed so he must have sensed how serious she was.</p>
<p>"You're not fine and don't you dare deny it Fenton!" Tara nearly screamed in anger. "I hate it, Danny! I hate this! By this, I mean the fact that we barely see or talk anymore! And even when we do see you, you always have some excuse to leave or just flat out ignore me and Bonnie. I know things have been rough ever since the accident but why did you have to push us away?"</p>
<p>She was crying now as she felt the hot tears trailing down her cheek. "Did you think we would have laughed at you like everyone else? Did you think that we would have been embarrassed by all the times your pants fell down? NO! We wouldn't have cared. We've been friends since pre-school Danny but now you act like we've never met before today. Plus, your grades have been slipping, you're always late, and you always look so tired. We're worried about you Danny."</p>
<p>Danny's shoulder slumped and he couldn't meet her eyes. "Tara…I just have some issues that I need to work out…"</p>
<p>She could see the conflicted look on his face along with the vast array of emotions he tried to hide. He had the same look on his face when he wanted to tell her that her pet dog Snuffles had gotten run-over by a truck. He wanted to hide the truth from her so that she would be spared from any heartbreak. Well, to hell with that. She wasn't seven years old anymore.</p>
<p>"Then let me and Bonnie help!" Tara pleaded as she forced him to look at her. "The three of us have always worked out our problems together. Please, Danny."</p>
<p>It was almost as if he was struggling to come up with a response. She saw the swarm of conflicting thoughts in his eyes. She could tell that the part of him she knew as her best friend had heard her and was trying to reach out. However, a more determined part of him refused to budge and eventually he gave her a look of resignation.</p>
<p>"I'm sorry, Tara….but I can't."</p>
<p>It hurt. His words cut through her so deeply that she had to choke back another sob that was building up in her throat. It hurt because this was the same boy that always cheered her up whenever she felt sad. This was the boy who took the blame for her when she accidentally threw up in someone's lunchbox during elementary school. It just hurt so much…</p>
<p>And so she ran.</p>
<hr/>
<p>"Yikes," Ron winced as Kim recounted the rather eventful evening at the Possible household.</p>
<p>"Suffice to say, the tweebs will be doing my chores for the rest of the month." Kim said jovially.</p>
<p>"Well, I can't say I blame them." Ron said. The two friends had just finished putting their books in their lockers and were on their way out of school. "I mean did you see the footage? It was so badical!"</p>
<p>Kim rolled her eyes. "Don't tell me you believe in those "ghost reports" too."</p>
<p>"I'm telling you KP, a lot of weird stuff's been going on!" Ron insisted. Rufus poked his head out of Ron's pocket and nodded as well and squeaked "Ghosts!"</p>
<p>"Like the time you said there was green slime all over your backyard?" Kim raised a skeptical eyebrow.</p>
<p>"I forgot to turn off the sprinklers and the water washed it all away by the time you got there."</p>
<p>"So did the sprinklers wash away the annoying "Box Ghost" hiding in the school locker rooms?"</p>
<p>"He was totally real! Rufus saw him too."</p>
<p>The two of them had been so engrossed in their conversation that they didn't notice someone in front of them until Kim collided with him. They were a bit surprised by who it was they bumped into.</p>
<p>"You know, we really should stop meeting like this." Danny Fenton joked, but you could tell his heart wasn't into it.</p>
<p>Kim felt her face flush in slight embarrassment for bumping into him for the second time. "Sorry."</p>
<p>The raven-haired teen shrugged. "I'll say it again, No harm done."</p>
<p>"So dude, what's up?" Ron asked.</p>
<p>"Nothing much, I was just about to head home." Danny replied a bit vacantly. He looked like he had something heavy on his mind if the small frown on his face was any indication.</p>
<p>Now that she wasn't rushing off to class, Kim took the time to really observe the boy.</p>
<p>If she had to choose a word to describe him, it would be average. From his clothes to his hair, it all seemed kind of generic. He wasn't bad looking at all but anyone would still be hard pressed to spot him in a crowd unless they were really looking for him. However, he did have a redeeming quality.</p>
<p>His eyes were the most vibrant blue she had ever seen and it had been the first thing to catch her attention when they literally ran into each other yesterday. They were quite mesmerizing…</p>
<p>"….KP?" Ron's voice snapped her out of her thoughts.</p>
<p>"Uh sorry, what were you saying Ron?"</p>
<p>"I asked if you wouldn't mind letting Danny tag along to Bueno Nacho." Ron repeated. "Jeez, get your head out of the clouds Kim. I kept telling you to ask him at lunch."</p>
<p>"Ask who at lunch?" Danny asked, confused.</p>
<p>"Mankey," her friend said. "Kim's crushing on him hard."</p>
<p>"Ron!" Kim hissed indignantly.</p>
<p>The blond merely ignored his friend's embarrassment and turned to Danny. "So how about it dude? They have Nacos~"</p>
<p>Danny shifted and scratched his head. "I don't know Ron. I think I'll just head home."</p>
<p>"Nope sorry can't let you do that." Ron held up a hand as if to stop him. "Today is finally the day I show you the greatness of a Naco. And I'm willing to use any means necessary. Do your thing KP."</p>
<p>"Oh fine."</p>
<p>Kim then turned to Danny and unleashed her most lethal weapon, the Puppy Dog Pout.</p>
<p>"Uh what is she doing?" Danny asked Ron, a hint of nervousness creeping into his voice. The blond gave no reply and just gave him a cheeky grin. Kim decided to up the ante by making her lower lip quiver. Danny's eye twitched as he tried to resist her look but she could see his defenses starting to crack.</p>
<p>"Alright, I'll go! Just stop looking at me like that!"</p>
<p>"Booyah!" Ron pumped his fists.</p>
<p>Kim mentally patted herself on the back. No one could beat her Puppy Dog Pout and she had to admit to herself that maybe inviting him along wouldn't be so bad. While Danny was definitely a mystery, he seemed like an okay guy. If he was nice to Ron, who many people saw as a goofball, then he was alright in her books.</p>
<p>Who knows? She might finally find out why he suddenly went from Middleton Soccer Captain with straight A's to social outcast.</p>
<hr/>
<p>If it hadn't been for his little confrontation with Tara earlier, then Danny might have actually enjoyed his time with Kim and Ron. He tried his best to appear as if nothing was bothering him so as not to ruin their good mood but to be honest, he wanted nothing more than to go home and take his frustrations out on some ghost.</p>
<p>The day did not kick-off to a good start. He overslept because he had to chase some mutated ghost bear all across town, scaring away some homeless guy in the process. To top it off, his parents had caught him trying to sneak back into the house at three in the morning which earned him a month of added chores. Oh and let's not forget his spat with Tara.</p>
<p>Life must be having a field day by kicking him in the nuts today.</p>
<p>The guilt he felt as soon as she ran almost made him want to chase her and confess everything right then and there. Danny just couldn't stand the look on her face. She looked so hurt and betrayed that it made his chest ache. He could only imagine how Bonnie must be feeling about all of this.</p>
<p>But no, he couldn't tell them. Danny made a promise to himself that he would never involve them. He had considered telling the girls after he had been learning to deal with his powers for a month but then his dad had dragged them all to Wisconsin for their college reunion…</p>
<p>Back then, the ghosts he fought had only been a constant annoyance that kept getting in the way of his normal life. However, the reality of the situation quickly became apparent after meeting Vlad Plasmius. Their encounter made it clear that Danny was severely outmatched and he had only managed to come to a stalemate because of his gross fixation on his mother.</p>
<p>He got lucky.</p>
<p>Danny replayed their fight over and over in his head for several days after that. The older ghost hybrid had years of experience over him and was clearly a threat due to Vlad knowing his secret identity. What would happen if Vlad decided to end their little cease-fire and attacked? What if there were other ghosts just as, if not more, powerful than Vlad out there? Would he be able to protect the people he cared about?</p>
<p>It was with these questions in mind that he decided to drift away from his two best friends so that they could live their lives free from the burdens of ghosts and psychotic fruit loops. He'd just have to bear with Bonnie's constant glares and Tara's sad glances. So far, it was easier said than done.</p>
<p>"Danny? Are you okay?" He heard Kim address him. The two of them were looking at him in concern.</p>
<p>He quickly plastered on a smile. "Yeah, just thinking about stuff, I guess."</p>
<p>God that sounded lame.</p>
<p>Kim and Ron exchanged looks. He could tell that they weren't convinced. Danny knew that they would ask questions about it so he decided to beat them to the punch by changing the topic.</p>
<p>"So, when did you guys start doing your save-the-world thing?" Danny asked in curiosity. While it was true that he just wanted to avoid any uncomfortable questions, he always did wonder how Team Possible came to be.</p>
<p>"We actually started as a baby-sitting website but then things kind of just snowballed from there." Kim said.</p>
<p>The two crime fighters decided to recount some of their adventures for him and Danny had to admit that he sort of envied them. Kim and Ron sounded like they were having the time of their lives travelling the world and helping people. He also couldn't help but wonder how on earth they could maintain their grades, mostly in Kim's case because he knew Ron was fine with being an average student, while he was barely scraping up C's in his tests.</p>
<p>The way the two of them filled in the gaps in each other's stories brought up memories of his own and for a moment, he saw three kids in front of him. The two girls and one boy in his mind's eye were just talking and laughing at silly things.</p>
<p>He'd give almost anything to go back to that. A simpler time with his two best friends…</p>
<p>However, reality slapped him back to his senses as a shiver made its way from the base of his spine. He barely managed to cover his mouth to cover up the blue mist that escaped.</p>
<p>Seriously, it had to be now?</p>
<p>Danny concentrated and tried to get a lock on the ghost's position. After many months of practicing with his Ghost Sense, he was now able to get a lock on a ghost's ecto-signature as long as it was within a certain range as well as determine how powerful it was. Right now, he could tell that the ghost was just a few blocks away and didn't seem like the type that would be a hassle to deal with.</p>
<p>Still, any ghost, no matter how weak, could still cause a bit of trouble.</p>
<p>"And do you remember that time with Drakken when he—." Whatever Ron was saying was interrupted when Danny abruptly stood.</p>
<p>"I just remembered something that I have to do for my parents!" Danny said. "Really sorry about this but I gotta run! I'll see you guys tomorrow!"</p>
<p>With that, he grabbed his backpack and didn't even bother to wait for a response as he ran out the door. He jogged down a few blocks before ducking into an alley. He checked the surrounding area to see if the coast was clear.</p>
<p>"Going ghost!"</p>
<p>A white ring flashed into existence and transformed him into his ghost half. He quickly turned invisible and flew to the ghost's location. He arrived at an empty warehouse after a few minutes and started scanning the building for any sign of the specter.</p>
<p>It was only after a brief glance that he realized what was inside the warehouse: Boxes and crates.</p>
<p>"Oh no," Danny groaned in annoyance. "You can't be serious."</p>
<p>As if on cue, the portly ghost made himself known….rather loudly as usual.</p>
<p>"I AM THE BOX GHOST!"</p>
<p>Yep, without a doubt, this day sucked major balls.</p>
<p>"I bet Kim and Ron don't have to deal with this type of crap."</p>
<p>Unbeknownst to the young halfa, a blue skinned mad scientist sneezed in his evil lair.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Meanwhile, inside a large manor resembling a castle found in Wisconsin, a ghost in high-tech armor phased into an office where a lone figure sat behind his desk watching multiple holographic screens, each of them displaying a certain ghost boy fighting a variety of his experiments. The figure sitting in the chair didn't even turn bother to face the new arrival.</p>
<p>"Report," The man said, barely lifting his eyes from a particular battle.</p>
<p>"The whelp is the same as ever: brash and annoying." Skulker informed his employer. "He's currently chasing after that infuriating Box Ghost as we speak."</p>
<p>The man in the chair pushed a button on his desk and a new screen popped up to display live footage. The chubby blue ghost was flying for his after-life as a black and white figure easily gained on him. He shouted out one last "Beware!" before getting sucked into a thermos.</p>
<p>"The little badger has improved quite a bit since the last time we fought." The man absently noted to himself before smirking. "Excellent, things are moving along quite nicely."</p>
<p>"Easy for you to say." Skulker grumbled. "Do you have any idea how hard it is to keep ghosts at bay so that you can play your little games? The others are becoming more aggressive and I won't be able to hold them off forever even with all the new weapons you've given me."</p>
<p>"You're in luck then, because starting today you will be relieved of that duty." The man spoke up.</p>
<p>The hunter of the Ghost Zone's eyes widened. "Are you sure?"</p>
<p>"Indeed I am." The man stood from his desk and gazed out of a nearby window. "I've merely been delaying the inevitable just for this. I've kept the existence of ghosts a secret for as long as I can but alas, I can only do so much before the world finally catches on. Fortunately, I've spent my time wisely and all the pieces are set. Once the ghosts are revealed to the public, then it will only be a matter of time before I get what I want."</p>
<p>The man turned back to the screen where the young ghost boy was displayed.</p>
<p>"Does this mean I can finally continue my hunt?"</p>
<p>Vlad Masters threw him an evil smirk. "Consider it open season. You and your brethren are now free to run rampant as you see fit. Enjoy."</p>
<p>A hungry grin made its way onto the Hunter's face as his arm morphed into a blaster.</p>
<p>"Oh, believe me, we will."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Out In The Open</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Mr. Fenton!"</p>
<p>"Fudge brownies!" The poor guy jerked awake, banged his knees under his desk, and found himself face to face with a very irate History teacher. She felt a pang of sympathy for the teen as the rest of their classmates merely laughed while he got chewed out. Danny winced every time the words like "irresponsible" and "lazy" were being used to describe him. The rant ended with him being told to stay after class.</p>
<p>Kim found herself glancing at him from the corner of her eye and saw that he really was trying to pay attention. Ever since Ron had brought him along to Bueno Nacho the other day, she began to take notice of Danny Fenton.</p>
<p>The one thing that always struck a chord in her mind was the accident in the beginning of sophomore year. Apparently, one of his parents' inventions malfunctioned and he had to be taken to the hospital for a couple of days. Kim only knew that fact because Tara and Bonnie had skipped out on cheerleading practice on those dates.</p>
<p>To be honest, Kim had expected him to come back to school in a wheelchair because of all the rumors speculating on how bad it was. As it turned out, he was perfectly fine with all of his limbs still intact. However, she couldn't say the same for his clumsiness. Danny was tripping and falling all over the place, often finding himself in embarrassing situations. It wasn't long before he started to distance himself from everyone. He also quit the soccer team for some reason and his grades slipped from A's to D's.</p>
<p>And then there was that huge fight last year….</p>
<p>The bell signaling the end of class rung and Kim began to trail behind everyone else as they made their way out of the room. The red-head saw that Danny was still desperately writing down the notes on the board before they were erased. He looked like he could really use some tutoring.</p>
<p>Coming to a decision, Kim opted to wait for the raven-haired teen outside of the classroom. After all, it really wasn't that much of a big deal. She was fairly smart, a bonus of having a neurosurgeon and a rocket scientist for parents, and she tutored Ron a couple of times before so how hard could it be?</p>
<p>Danny stepped out a few minutes later and looked slightly surprised to see her standing there in the hall.</p>
<p>"Oh hey, Kim, do you need something from Mr. Carter?" Danny asked.</p>
<p>"No. Actually, I was kind of waiting for you." Kim admitted. She noted how awkward that sounded. Come to think of it, this was the first time she had spoken to Danny without anyone else around.</p>
<p>"Why?" Danny asked.</p>
<p>"See I noticed that you seem to have a problem with staying awake in class." Kim said. "And I know difficult that can be sometimes so I was wondering if you….wanted any help?"</p>
<p>Danny blinked at her for a moment. He seemed to be studying her and the red-head felt a tad bit uncomfortable being scrutinized under his intense gaze.</p>
<p>"I mean, if you don't want extra tutoring then that's fine too." Kim hastily added. "I understand if—"</p>
<p>"No!" Danny blurted out. "Really, I'd appreciate it. I need all the help I could get, to be honest. But are you sure about this? I don't want to impose."</p>
<p>"Oh please," Kim waved him off. "I wouldn't have offered if I wasn't willing. Besides I'm Kim Possible, the girl who can do anything."</p>
<p>The raven-haired teen chuckled at her bold statement and Kim's brain subconsciously noted how nice he looked when he smiled. Granted that it was more of a half-grin than a full blown one but all the same, it suited him far better than his usual moping expression.</p>
<p>He held out his hand and she shook it.</p>
<p>"Well then Ms. Possible, I dearly hope you can live up to that." Danny spoke in a refined British accent. "But seriously, please help!"</p>
<hr/>
<p>Danny never knew that a naked mole rat could eat so much. It really was fascinating to watch Rufus devour half a Sloppy Joe sandwich that was at least twice his size. Kind of makes him wonder where the little guy puts it all away. Once he finished, he let out a loud burp and patted his bloated tummy in contentment.</p>
<p>"So Danny, why'd you bail on us yesterday?" Ron asked through a mouthful of his own sandwich.</p>
<p>"Ron!" Kim scolded the blond. "At least swallow before you start spewing chunks all over us."</p>
<p>The blond teen merely shrugged before taking another huge bite out of his sandwich.</p>
<p>Danny accepted their offer to sit with them because frankly, he was tired of sitting alone in the corner. Having someone else to talk to was a nice change of pace. Plus, he had been a little rude for leaving them so abruptly without a proper explanation so he thought that he could at least make up for that.</p>
<p>"Well my parents had asked me to pick up a few things from the hardware store and I sort of forgot." Danny replied. The fact that the lie had rolled off his tongue so smoothly made him internally wince in guilt.</p>
<p>"No biggie dude, we understand." Ron was about to take another bite when he suddenly looked like he had been struck by brilliance. "Although, now that you mention it, aren't your parents Ghost Hunters or something?"</p>
<p>Kim sighed in irritation. "Oh here we go…"</p>
<p>"What about it?" Danny asked, feeling slightly uncomfortable with the sudden interest.</p>
<p>"So you probably know a little something about Ghosts right?" Ron questioned.</p>
<p><em>Buddy, you have no idea.</em> Danny thought to himself.</p>
<p>"Give it a rest already Ron." Kim said in exasperation. "It's clear that Danny doesn't want to hear any of your crazy ghost theories. I'm sure that there's a logical explanation to those Ghost reports that you and the tweebs like to watch."</p>
<p>Danny's spoon slipped out of his hand and clattered loudly on top of his tray.</p>
<p>"Are you okay?" Kim asked. "You look a little pale."</p>
<p>The raven-haired teen quickly tried to mask his surprise by forcing a smile. "I'm fine. What were you saying about these ghost reports?"</p>
<p>"It's this stupid late night news broadcast." Kim explained. "They usually air around after midnight or so. Personally, I think it's just a huge waste of time."</p>
<p>"Oh come on, KP!" Ron whined. "You saw it too. It was caught on a traffic light camera and it scared away that poor hobo two nights ago! There's no way that could be fake!"</p>
<p>"Someone could have edited that video for all we know and that "hobo" could have been an actor." Kim refuted. "Maybe they were just trying to boost their ratings or something."</p>
<p>Ron continued to protest but Danny wasn't really listening anymore. His mind was too busy processing everything he had just heard. Two nights ago was when he had been chasing that escaped ghost bear. He had been so busy trying to make sure it didn't cause too much damage to think about anything else.</p>
<p>He always made sure to avoid the more populated areas whenever he fought and yet somehow they still managed to catch glimpses of his battles. Danny could only hope that most of the people watching the program would remain skeptical like Kim. From now on, he was going to have to take extra precautions.</p>
<p><em>Damn it, as if I didn't have enough to worry about.</em> Danny cursed internally. <em>This can't possibly get any worse.</em></p>
<p>And little did he know that his problems were just getting started.</p>
<p>"Uh, KP, is it just me or is my sandwich floating?"</p>
<p>Danny's blood turned cold and luckily for him, his two companions were too busy staring at Ron's levitating half-eaten sandwich to notice the blue mist that escaped his mouth.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Chickens don't fly.</p>
<p>That was Bonnie first coherent thought as her grilled chicken literally flew off her plate. Glancing around, she saw that everyone else in the cafeteria was experiencing the same as burgers, pork-chops, hotdogs, and other pieces of meat were hovering above the air in front of their faces. For some bizarre reason, she noticed that vegetables and fruits were left untouched by this strange occurrence.</p>
<p>"Uh Bonnie, what's going on?" Tara asked nervously. Everyone was murmuring uncomfortably while some were tentatively poking at their mysteriously floating food.</p>
<p>"Like hell if I know!" Bonnie snapped.</p>
<p>She felt someone tap her on the shoulder and the tan girl felt her irritation grow. "What is it now Tara?"</p>
<p>"I didn't say anything."</p>
<p>Bonnie turned in her seat only to come face to face with a strange green skinned….lunch lady?</p>
<p>"Excuse me dear, but do you know what happened to the meatloaf?" The old woman asked in a sweet grandmother like voice. "Today is meatloaf day but I can't find the meatloaf."</p>
<p>"Nobody cares about your stupid meatloaf grandma!" Bonnie said bitingly. "If you hadn't noticed, we have bigger problems at the moment." The girl gestured to the floating food.</p>
<p>As soon as the words left her mouth, she instantly regretted it. The atmosphere around the old woman seemed to grow colder with malevolence. Bonnie unconsciously started to back away from the strange, possibly crazy, woman when a portly hand grabbed her by the hair and painfully pulled her up from her seat.</p>
<p>"Ouch! Let me go you bitch!" Bonnie shrieked in pain and anger. Her loud exclamation managed to draw attention from the rest of the students.</p>
<p>"SILENCE, YOU BRAT!" The Lunch Lady's voice boomed like thunder. There was a crazy glint in her eyes now that sent a shiver of fear down the cheerleader's spine. "How dare you disrespect meatloaf day! Don't you know that Lunch is sacred? Lunch has rules!"</p>
<p>"Get off of her!" Tara came up to her and struggled to get Bonnie free. However, the old woman had a grip like iron. Several other students shouted their support and some even started rising from their seats to help.</p>
<p>"I'll show you what happens to girls who don't respect the MENU!"</p>
<p>Splat!</p>
<p>Everyone was struck silent for a moment as the old hag tentatively reached behind her head to remove a piece of lettuce from the salad that someone threw. She crumpled the leaf as her eyes blazed in fury.</p>
<p>"Who dares?" Her answer was another salad to the face. "YOU!"</p>
<p>Bonnie turned her head as best as she could despite her predicament to catch a glimpse of the offender. To her absolute shock and delight, she saw Danny standing defiantly a few tables away. He scowled at the old woman as he hefted a tomato in his other hand and looked like he was about to hurl it at any second.</p>
<p>"Let her go." Danny demanded. Without even waiting for a response, he chucked the tomato right at the old woman's face. The rest of the student body momentarily forgot his status as the resident pariah and cheered him on while others followed his lead. Fruits, salads, and other condiments started to rain down on the Lunch Lady.</p>
<p>If the situation hadn't been so serious, Bonnie would have complained about the state of her clothes which had not been spared from the onslaught of vegetarian food. However, at this very moment, she couldn't care any less as her gaze was fixed on only one person.</p>
<p>
  <em>Danny…</em>
</p>
<p>Thanks to his intervention, The Lunch Lady's grip had slackened and she was able to break free. Tara quickly pulled her away from the old woman who had begun to shake in anger.</p>
<p>"ENOUGH!" She roared in absolute fury. "YOU BRATS WANT TO PLAY WITH FOOD? THEN PERISH!"</p>
<p>She raised her arms above her head and all of the levitating pieces of meat began to gravitate toward her. Even the frozen meats from storage also started flying through the doors leading to the kitchen. Pretty soon, the old woman had disappeared under a gigantic pile of meats.</p>
<p>The pile shook for a minute before it began to rise up from the ground. Arms and legs sprouted from the large mass, giving it a humanoid appearance. Green eyes opened up and a monstrous mouth grinned down at them. It looked like something out of a vegetarian's worst nightmare.</p>
<p>"Run!" Someone in the crowd shouted and no one needed to be told twice.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Tara kept her firm grip on Bonnie's hand as they got caught up in the stampede. The two girls were being pushed along by the horde of students trying to make it out of the school. Teens were pushing and shoving just to get moving in the large swarm of bodies. All those emergency school drills didn't really cover meat monster attacks.</p>
<p>In the midst of all the confusion, Tara spotted a mess of raven hair among the crowd. There was only one problem. The owner of said messy raven hair that she would know anywhere was going the wrong way.</p>
<p>"Danny! Over here!" Tara called out. However, her cries were drowned out by the noise of a hundred panicking students. She grew slightly desperate as he drifted farther and farther away.</p>
<p>"Tara, come on!" Bonnie shouted and tugged on her arm.</p>
<p>The blonde cheerleader fought her friend's pull. "Bonnie we have to go back!"</p>
<p>"Are you crazy?" Her friend gave her an incredulous look.</p>
<p>"We have to! I saw Danny heading back there!"</p>
<p>Bonnie faltered at that. "You're sure?"</p>
<p>Tara nodded in determination. She didn't know why on earth he thought he needed to go back but she did know one crucial fact.</p>
<p>Danny still cares!</p>
<p>That thought was enough to have her beaming like an idiot. She just knew that deep down behind all of his loner façade and his attempts to push them away that he was still their best friend. Bonnie must have been thinking along the same lines as she bit her lip.</p>
<p>Bonnie sighed. "Come on. Let's make sure that moron doesn't hurt himself."</p>
<hr/>
<p>"I told you so!"</p>
<p>"Not the time Ron!" Kim said in irritation as she dodged another gigantic meat fist. She back flipped over another table to gain some distance from the meat monster. She quickly took out her communicator and turned it on. "Wade, please tell me you know how to beat that thing."</p>
<p>"What thing?" The ten year old boy asked before Kim pointed the camera. "Holy smokes! What the heck is that?"</p>
<p>"That's why I called you." Kim said, jumping away to avoid being crushed by a large foot made of hams.</p>
<p>"Right, I'll get on it." Wade started typing furiously.</p>
<p>Kim put away her communicator for the time being to deal with the problem at hand. Choosing to switch to the offensive, the young crime-fighter ran forward to get close. She avoided another swipe by somersaulting over the large meat fist. Instead of simply landing, Kim extended her right leg to bring it down in an axe kick that struck the monster's shoulder.</p>
<p>Unfortunately for her, the Lunch Lady barely reacted to her kick and to make things worse, her foot got stuck in the body of meat. A huge hand immediately wrapped around her body and Kim struggled to free herself from the vice grip that was slowly squeezing her.</p>
<p>"Kim!" Ron hurled a nearby tray like a Frisbee that nailed the meat monster right in the eyes. Sadly, this only served to irritate the monster further, prompting it to throw Kim across the cafeteria. The cheerleader was able to tuck into a roll instead of falling flat on her back. Ron quickly rushed to her side.</p>
<p>"What's the plan KP?"</p>
<p>The red-head took out her communicator once more. "Wade, please tell me you have something."</p>
<p>"Sorry Kim but I can't seem to get a clear answer." Wade didn't looking at her, still typing away in his computer. "My scans indicate some kind of weird energy signature that I've never seen before. The closest thing I could find to a match for it was on a paper published by Jack and Maddie Fenton. I know that this might be hard to believe but I think that what you're dealing with is some kind of…"</p>
<p>"No, please don't say it." Kim pleaded. It was absurd! There was no way that the thing in front of them could possibly be a real…</p>
<p>"…ghost."</p>
<p>"I knew it!" Ron pumped his fists.</p>
<p>Kim's disbelief and Ron's elation quickly vanished as soon as they saw the giant ball of meat flying toward them. Kim mentally berated herself for taking her eyes off of the fight. In their moment of distraction, they had failed to notice the Lunch Lady attacking. A hundred pounds of meat could probably break a few bones if it were traveling at high speeds. The two friends merely raised their arms, hoping to take the brunt of hit and hopefully avoid breaking something.</p>
<p>
  <em>This is going to hurt.</em>
</p>
<p>The two teens flinched at the sound of impact but were surprised by the fact that they didn't feel it. Kim lowered her arms from her face only to find herself and Ron covered in a glowing green dome of energy.</p>
<p>"What in the world?" Kim muttered to herself</p>
<p>"Excuse me, I ordered my steaks medium rare." A new voice quipped. "These look a little raw. Here let me help cook them up for you."</p>
<p>A green blast of energy hit the meat monster right where the left arm connected to its shoulder, cutting the limb off. Three more blasts followed after that, severing the remaining limbs causing the meat giant to topple to the ground. The strange energy dome surrounding them vanished not long after.</p>
<p>"Are you two okay?" Someone asked and Team Possible quickly swiveled around to face the new arrival.</p>
<p>For some strange reason, Kim was hit with a certain sense of familiarity. The person standing behind them was a teenager around the same age as them with snowy white hair and a haunting pair of green eyes. He wore a tight hazmat suit that was clad in black with some white highlights thrown in but it left little to the imagination as it showcased his lean athletic body. This had been the first time she had seen him but at the same time, Kim felt like she should know this person.</p>
<p>Kim decided to ponder on it later. They had a bigger problem to deal with.</p>
<p>"Yeah, thanks for the save uh..." Kim trailed off.</p>
<p>"Phantom, my name's Phantom." The strange teen introduced.</p>
<p>"Right, I'm Kim, and this is—"</p>
<p>A rumble interrupted her as the huge pile of meat started to reform. Phantom's eyes hardened as he positioned himself in front of them. "You guys should go. Leave big ugly to me."</p>
<p>"But we can help!" Ron said.</p>
<p>Phantom shook his head and replied without taking his eyes off of the newly regenerated meat monster. "No you can't. Humans can't fight ghosts without any of the right equipment. You won't even be able to slow her down. It'd be better if you just left and get yourselves somewhere safe."</p>
<p>"We can handle ourselves just fine." Kim refused to back down. The manner in which he said that last statement rubbed her the wrong way. It seemed like he was implying that they were amateurs or something.</p>
<p>"Whatever, just don't get in the way." Phantom said, before phasing through the ground. Kim just gawked at the spot where he fell through the floor. Oh hell no, he did not just tell her off like that before disappearing.</p>
<p>That guy had some nerve.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Okay, maybe he had been a little harsh but it was the truth! They would have just been in more danger without ectoplasmic weapons to help them fight. He would have had to divide his attention between fighting and making sure that they didn't get hurt. No, it was better if they sat this one out. Granted, he could have phrased that a little better but he didn't have time for niceties.</p>
<p>He had a ghost to catch.</p>
<p>Danny flew up from the ground and sent a powerful energy coated uppercut under the Lunch Lady's jaw that made her stumble. He quickly followed with a rapid series of ectoblasts that distracted her enough to be able to duplicate himself. The carbon copy of himself flew forward like a bullet and used his intangibility to fly through the monster and tackle the Lunch Lady out of the mass of meat.</p>
<p>The copy continued flying and the two of them phased through the wall into the next room with the original right on their tail. The Lunch Lady growled and elbowed his copy at the back of his neck, making him vanish.</p>
<p>"So, you're the reason why that insufferable hunter wouldn't let us pass into the human world." The Lunch Lady said. "I'll make you pay for delaying my lunch brand of justice!"</p>
<p>"Blah, blah, blah, just get in the stupid thermos!" Danny's hand flew to his belt where he normally clipped the device only to find it missing. A stray memory of hiding it in his locker before class flashed through his mind. "Well that's just great."</p>
<p>The Lunch Lady capitalized on his momentary distraction to phase through another wall in order to escape. Danny instantly flew after her, using his ghost sense to keep track of where she was heading. Luckily for him, she was flying toward the hallway where his locker was. He decided put on a little bit more speed and created a duplicate to fetch the thermos while he cut her off.</p>
<p>He was really glad that he was able to get the hang of duplicating himself. It took a hell of a lot of practice and quite a few deformities to get it just right. Currently, he could only produce two copies without significantly draining himself and while they did take a lot out of him, they were undeniably useful.</p>
<p>Before he knew it, he had already managed to catch up to the old woman in one of the hallways. He grabbed her by the ankle and spun her around to slam into the nearby drinking fountain.</p>
<p>"You call that a throw?" The Lunch Lady stood and cracked her neck. "Ha! This is why children should eat more meat! You lack strength ghost child!"</p>
<p>"Yeah, well I think a balanced diet is more important." Danny said. "And besides, I'm just distracting you anyway."</p>
<p>His duplicate phased through the ground and activated the Fenton Thermos before the ghost could even retort. The Lunch Lady wailed in anger as she got sucked into the device. Danny capped the lid and the duplicate promptly disappeared.</p>
<p>Since there was no one around, Danny decided it was safe to change back into his human half. He could hear sirens coming from outside the school and the teen thought that it'd probably be best to slip out unnoticed and join the rest of the students before someone realized he was missing. He jogged to the nearest exit while using his invisibility to remain unseen.</p>
<p>Once he was outside, he was greeted with the sight of several police cruisers, ambulances, and fire trucks all parked in front of the school. The police had already set up a perimeter while the students were all huddled together. Mr. Barkin was trying to maintain order in his usual strict and no nonsense tone.</p>
<p>Danny positioned himself at the back of the group and dropped his invisibility because he could see the teachers doing a headcount. He let out small breathe of relief as he saw one of the teacher's eyes glance at him for a second before moving on. Good, he was in the clear.</p>
<p>"Alright people listen up!" Mr. Barkin's megaphone enhanced voice blared out to the horde of students. "Has anyone seen Possible and Stoppable?"</p>
<p>"We're here!" They all turned to see the two running out of the front entrance.</p>
<p>He was glad that the two actually followed his advice. Kim looked pretty irritated for some reason but he decided to file that away for later. Now if he could just spot Tara and Bonnie, then Danny would be completely able to relax. They must be around here somewhere.</p>
<p>His search for the two girls was interrupted by a huge RV screeching to a halt right next to the group. A blazing green design with a giant letter F was painted onto the sides and Danny seriously started to reconsider going invisible once again.</p>
<p>
  <em>Oh God.</em>
</p>
<p>The driver side door burst open and his father jumped out of the vehicle with his usual battle cry.</p>
<p>"Eat this ghost scum!" His trigger-happy dad blasted the crowd with his bazooka and a couple of unlucky students within range got covered in green ectoplasmic foam.</p>
<p>His mom promptly climbed on top of the RV with a megaphone of her own and addressed the students. "Students of Middleton High, there is no need to be alarmed. As you are all aware, my husband, Jack, and I are professional Ghost Hunters and we assure you that no further harm will come to you as long as we are here. But first, I have a very important question: Where is my sweet and adorable little boy? Oh never mind, I just saw him. Hi, sweetie!"</p>
<p>His mother waved at him and everyone else turned to stare at him. Some students snickered while the ones who had been drenched in ectoplasmic foam did not look too happy with him at the moment.</p>
<p>Danny could do nothing but smile sheepishly and prayed to whatever deity was listening to just kill him now.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Tara and Bonnie sat together in the janitor's closet in stunned silence. The day had already been strange to say the least but what they saw just minutes earlier left them speechless. It was just too much to process all at once and yet when they really thought about it, everything started to make sense.</p>
<p>The two of them barely managed to stifle their gasps of surprise when the two white rings of light disappeared and standing there was Danny Fenton, who was still holding the thermos he used to trap the Lunch Lady. He stared at it for a moment before taking off, leaving the two girls in a state of disbelief.</p>
<p>The two sat there contemplating what they had just seen when Tara giggled quietly to herself. "I knew it."</p>
<p>Bonnie could only stare at her friend in bewilderment. "What?"</p>
<p>Tara turned to face her with the biggest grin she had ever worn in a while. "I just knew that he had to have a reason for saying all those hurtful things last year. It explains so much!"</p>
<p>"Yeah, you're right." Bonnie conceded, letting out a small smile of her own. It felt like a huge weight had been lifted from her chest. All the anger and resentment she had harbored over their massive fight for the past year slowly melted away. Well, maybe not completely. She was still a little pissed that Danny would keep something like this from them.</p>
<p>"He is in so much trouble." Bonnie smirked.</p>
<p>Tara nodded in agreement. "Let's give him a piece of our minds."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Bygones Be Bygones</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Did you find anything?"</p>
<p>"Sorry Kim, but it's kind of hard to investigate someone who's… a ghost, literally and figuratively." Wade said, taking a sip from his soda while his other hand continued typing. "The earliest known footage of Phantom was caught by a couple of kids who were hanging out at the skate-park five months ago. They posted it online and got a lot of views but everyone just assumed it was faked. Other than that, I got nothing."</p>
<p>"So basically, we're in the dark." Kim frowned.</p>
<p>"Not necessarily." Wade assured her. "Based on the Ghost Reports as well as some alleged sightings, I can deduce that he's somewhat of a local. He only appears around Middleton, Upperton, and Lowerton for some reason. Who knows? Maybe there's a chance you'll run into him again."</p>
<p>"I hope not." Kim grumbled, remembering their first recent encounter.</p>
<p>"What's got you ticked off?" Wade raised an amused eyebrow.</p>
<p>"Oh, Kim's just experiencing the so called "In your face!" syndrome." Ron replied, with a smug look on his face.</p>
<p>Kim growled. "Oh for the love of, okay Ron you win! Ghosts are real. I'm sorry I didn't believe you! Can we please just focus on finding this guy?"</p>
<p>"Treat me to some Bueno Nacho and you got a deal."</p>
<p>"Done, I'll even Grande size it." Kim readily agreed. At this point, she was ready to do almost anything so that Ron would finally stop rubbing it in her face.</p>
<p>Yesterday had been stressful to say the least. After Phantom and the Lunch Lady disappeared, the entire student body had been interviewed and questioned by the authorities as well as the media about the details of the attack. The police had been pretty skeptical at first and Kim couldn't blame them. Ghosts and flying meat monsters sounded pretty ridiculous but the amount of witnesses and the arrival of the Fentons helped solidify their case.</p>
<p>The town's resident ghost hunters were… an interesting couple. Jack Fenton had been disappointed when they were told that the ghost had already disappeared as he followed his wife, Maddie Fenton, into the school to search for some samples the ghosts might have left behind.</p>
<p>"I'll try to dig up anything else I can find and call you when I get a hit." Wade said.</p>
<p>"Please and thank you." Kim disconnected the video call and tucked away the communicator.</p>
<p>Ron suddenly nudged her and pointed out Josh who was on a ladder hanging up banners for the dance tomorrow.</p>
<p>"You haven't asked him yet, have you?" The blond guessed.</p>
<p>"No!" Kim wailed in mock despair. "It seems like every time I try, something gets in the way."</p>
<p>It was like the universe was against her or something. How on earth was she able to defeat Drakken and Shego on a weekly basis but have trouble asking one cute guy to the dance? It was criminal!</p>
<p>"You're just not trying hard enough. Here, watch and learn." Ron picked up his megaphone and addressed the gym full of cheerleaders. "What up ladies? The name's Ron Stoppable in case you were wondering. So there's this dance coming up tomorrow and I'll just have you know that I'm a bon diggity dancer! Any takers?"</p>
<p>The rest of the cheer squad rolled their eyes at his attempts to score a date and while Kim admired his confidence, she did smack herself on the forehead for his lack of finesse.</p>
<p>"Come on, don't be shy." Ron kept going and Kim had to grab the megaphone away from him.</p>
<p>"I'll see you after practice, Ron." The redhead told him.</p>
<p>The blond shrugged and was making his way to the exit when he bumped into Bonnie and Tara who had just arrived.</p>
<p>"Move it, loser!" Bonnie snapped at him before shoving Ron aside. Tara, whose eyes were downcast, meekly followed the girl as she stomped into the gym. The two girls looked distracted as they joined the rest of the squad.</p>
<p>"Are you two okay?" Kim decided to ask as she approached them.</p>
<p>"Just peachy, thanks for asking." Bonnie said in a snarky tone. "Can we just get this over with?"</p>
<p>Kim turned to Tara but the girl merely gave her a forced smile. The redhead thought about letting them sit this one out because they were clearly not feeling up to it but on the other hand, she could tell that Bonnie would stubbornly refuse and continue to practice anyway. Letting the matter drop for now, she turned to address the squad as a whole.</p>
<p>"Alright girls, let's do this!"</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <em>School was hell. Sure, kids always complained about it but in the end, they weren't Danny Fenton. He often wondered when the hell his life got so difficult to the point where he was legitimately afraid to show his face in school. One's pants could only fall so many times.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>It wasn't always like this. In fact, he had been enjoying his time at high school. There were always people to meet, friends to hang out with, and stuff to do. Freshman year had been great. Bonnie and Tara had gotten accepted into the cheer squad like they always wanted while he was able to snag a spot on the soccer team, quickly rising through the ranks, bringing home the trophy and was awarded the captaincy at the end of the year.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>During summer break, Tara had been able to convince his and Bonnie's parents to allow the three of them to take a trip with her family to a resort in Tahiti. Not many people know this but Tara's parents were pretty wealthy because her dad owns two five star hotels while her mom was a Michelin star winning chef. You would think that with all that money, his friend would grow up to be some snobbish princess but thankfully she wasn't. In fact, her parents were pretty nice and always welcomed him and Bonnie whenever they came over.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>That week of summer on the beach was one of the best he ever had and almost felt like a dream.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Except now, he lived in a nightmare. A month and a half long nightmare he really wished to wake up from.</em>
</p>
<p>"<em>Hey Danny," Tara greeted him as he opened his locker. Her brows creased in concern as she saw him. "Did you get any sleep at all last night?"</em></p>
<p>"<em>I had enough to get through today at least."</em></p>
<p>"<em>Are you sure? I mean if you're not feeling up to it maybe you should—"</em></p>
<p>"<em>I'll be fine Tara! Just stop fussing!" Danny snapped irritably. He couldn't help it. He only got a total of two hours worth of sleep last night and he didn't need her constantly checking over him.</em></p>
<p>"<em>What's up your ass this time?" Bonnie came up to the two and looked pointedly at Danny with her arms crossed. "I swear it's like you lash out at anyone who just talks to you these days."</em></p>
<p>"<em>Sorry," Danny let out a tired sigh. "Can we go now? Mr. Barkin will have me in detention again if I'm late."</em></p>
<p>"<em>No."</em></p>
<p>"<em>What do you mean no?"</em></p>
<p>
  <em>Bonnie walked right up to him and got up in his face. "No! You can't keep blowing us off like this! We need a serious talk right here and right now. Don't even think about an excuse right now Fenton because I'm not having it!"</em>
</p>
<p>"<em>Look, whatever we need to talk about, we can do it later." Danny growled.</em></p>
<p>"<em>That right there is the problem!" Bonnie gripped her hair in frustration. "It's always later with you!"</em></p>
<p>"<em>What do you want me to say?" Danny felt his own temper caused by his lack of sleep starting to rise. "I don't know if you've noticed but you're not exactly the easiest person to talk to and your attitude is not helping."</em></p>
<p>"<em>Well I'd be in a much better mood if a certain someone hasn't been avoiding us this past week." Bonnie shot back.</em></p>
<p>"<em>Guys…" Tara tried getting in between them but her efforts were in vain.</em></p>
<p>"<em>Did you ever think that maybe I needed some time to myself for a change?" Danny demanded. "But no, as always, we have to do it Bonnie's way or else she'll throw a tantrum."</em></p>
<p>"<em>Sorry if I've just been concerned for my best friend." Bonnie's fists were shaking now. "I'm sorry that we care about what you're doing to yourself! I'm sorry that you're so burdened by our worry! I'm sorry that we're just trying to be good friends!"</em></p>
<p>"<em>Stop, please!" Tara begged as she was finally able to separate the two of them. She knew she had to put a stop to this before one of them said something they would regret…but it was too late.</em></p>
<p>"<em>Just why do you constantly have to push?!" Danny nearly shouted. "You and Tara always think you know what's best for me, but you don't! So you can drop the concern because I don't need it! I can take care of myself! I know what this is all about! You're just mad because you girls thought you could just bat your eyelashes at me like every other boy and I'll roll over like a good dog."</em></p>
<p>"<em>Danny that's not true." Tara spoke up but then Danny rounded on her.</em></p>
<p>"<em>Oh would you spare me the sweet and innocent act Tara." Danny said. "It might work on daddy if you wanted him to buy you a new pony or whatever but don't think it'll work on me because—"</em></p>
<p>
  <em>Slap!</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>His cheek stung from the sudden impact and it was at that moment when Danny had realized the weight of everything he had just said. He slowly turned his head to see Bonnie with her hand still in the air and tears leaking down her face. Tara was choking back a sob while she covered her mouth.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>What has he done?</em>
</p>
<p>"<em>Fuck you." Bonnie said, before storming off. She pushed through the crowd of people that had apparently managed to gather around the trio.</em></p>
<p>
  <em>Danny could only watch her go as he stood rooted to the spot. He slowly turned to his other friend whose shoulders were racked with silent sobs.</em>
</p>
<p>"<em>Tara, I…" Danny tried reaching for her but she took a step away from him and shook her head. She gave him one last look before rushing off after Bonnie, leaving him in the loose circle of students that had gathered to watch the events unfold.</em></p>
<p>
  <em>It was too much. Everyone was murmuring to themselves but Danny could only hear ringing in his ears. His breathing started coming out in short uneven pants and he felt like his chest was being squeezed by a vice. Before he knew it, he had pushed his way through the crowd and quickly stumbled into a bathroom. He was able to lock the door to an unoccupied stall before he emptied the content of his stomach into the toilet.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>God, the pain was unbearable. At this point, he wished Bonnie had slapped him harder because the shame and guilt he felt was slowly crushing him under its weight.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>And so there he sat for the rest of the day, not even bothering to come to class anymore as he felt like the lowest form of scum.</em>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>The final bell had rung an hour ago which meant that most of the students have already gone home. He knew because he watched everyone leave from where he was perched on the school roof. He flew up here from time to time whenever he just wanted to think. It offered a great view of the town since Middleton didn't really have many tall buildings around this area. He could mostly see houses for a couple of miles and the city in the distance.</p>
<p>Danny wished he could say that he was up there to enjoy the fresh air and take in the sights but sadly that was far from the truth. In fact, as much as he was ashamed to admit, he was hiding.</p>
<p>
  <em>We know everything, Danny…</em>
</p>
<p>It was strange how a simple sentence like that had sent him running with his tail between his legs. He felt like such a coward. He didn't even listen to what they had to say. Nope, he just turned and ran. Oh yeah, Brave heart's got nothing on him.</p>
<p>How they found out about his secret didn't even matter anymore. The question was what he was going to do about it now that they did know. They had him boxed in and he knew they would never buy any half-ass excuse now that the cat was out of the bag.</p>
<p>Danny let out a defeated sigh and decided to lie on his back so that he was facing the cloudy afternoon sky.</p>
<p>There had been another reason why he was avoiding everyone today, especially Bonnie and Tara. It was because it was on this exact day last year that he stupidly lashed out and destroyed several years' worth of friendship. It was a day that would always haunt him for the rest of his life. He remembered every single word and the heartbroken looks on their faces. It was like a stab in the gut whenever he thought about it, which was more often than you'd imagine.</p>
<p>Was it even possible to recover from that? Was there any form of retribution or forgiveness he could earn? Did he even deserve any?</p>
<p>He had to constantly convince himself that perhaps it was better that they had that argument because at least he knew they were safe by keeping their distance but deep down he knew that was just a way to ease the pain. No, what he really wanted to do since the beginning was to tell them and maybe work it out like they always did, regardless of the consequences. Instead he had surrendered to his stress and did the opposite by pushing them away.</p>
<p>He pushed himself into a crossed legged sitting position and stared at his hand. With a simple thought, his hand was engulfed by a glowing green energy before turning invisible. He had no doubt in his mind that many teens his age would say that having powers would be awesome but he disagreed. These powers were a curse. It had cost him a year of his life that he could have spent being a carefree student without having the responsibility of making sure rogue spirits didn't harm anybody.</p>
<p>He had thought about ignoring it at first after the argument and to hell with it, let the ghosts rampage for all he cared. It wasn't his duty to make sure everyone was safe. People die and get hurt all the time, it was only natural. But then one night, one of the ghosts had gotten really close to Bonnie's house and would have gotten in if he hadn't launched himself at it. They had battled briefly right in front of the house and Danny was able to defeat it.</p>
<p>Once he had captured it, Danny stopped to stare at the house where he knew his best friend and her family was sleeping, blissfully unaware of the danger they were in only moments before. It was then that he came to a realization: If he hadn't been there, what would have happened? If he had ignored the ghost, would he have ever seen Bonnie again? What if it had been Tara?</p>
<p>Danny surveyed the rest of the street. He knew a couple of the people who lived in these houses. He practically grew up in this neighborhood. They didn't deserve to have some wandering ghost breaking into their houses and doing God knows what. Would he have been able to stand by and just left them in harm's way too?</p>
<p>
  <em>Screw that.</em>
</p>
<p>That night, he had come to accept his powers. He might not have wanted them but there was no use trying to change what was done to him. It was a heavy burden for sure but at least he could feel at ease knowing that he was able to keep people safe, especially the people he cared about.</p>
<p>But it still didn't solve his current predicament. Now that Bonnie and Tara had stumbled upon his little secret, he knew for a fact that they would never stop hounding him until he caved in. He had to face them sooner or later but what could he even say? A simple apology felt severely lacking in his opinion and even on the small chance that they decide to forgive him, there was still one person who couldn't: Himself.</p>
<p>No matter what anyone said, he would forever hold himself responsible because he had hurt them.</p>
<p>Danny let out another frustrated sigh and thought that he might as well start heading home. All of that homework wasn't going to do itself and maybe he could even take a quick nap before he went on patrol later tonight. Standing up, he savored the feeling of a particularly strong breeze before phasing through the floor back into the school.</p>
<p>He landed inside the hallway close to the exit and was about to head out when he heard footsteps approaching.</p>
<p>Danny turned toward the source, which turned out to be none other than Josh Mankey, who looked just as surprised that someone else was still at school at this time.</p>
<p>"What are you still doing here?" The blond teen asked.</p>
<p>"I…forgot my books." Danny replied.</p>
<p>"Ah, I see."</p>
<p>Neither of them spoke for a moment. To be quite frank, Danny didn't really know Josh that well despite the fact that they've shared several classes since freshman year. He was always just one of those faces that you see but never really interacted with.</p>
<p>Danny racked his brain until he remembered he was part of the committee who was in charge of the dance. "Nice job on the posters by the way."</p>
<p>"Oh, yeah, thanks." Josh said.</p>
<p>More silence.</p>
<p>The blond artist cleared his throat. "I saw Tara and Bonnie earlier in the gym and they looked kind of upset. Is everything alright with you three?"</p>
<p>Danny winced at mention of the girls.</p>
<p>"Sorry, I know it's none of my business." Josh hastily apologized. "It's just that they only seem to get depressed whenever it has something to do with you."</p>
<p>"You're not wrong." Danny sighed dejectedly. "I just keep messing things up even when I don't mean to."</p>
<p>"Well, who hasn't right?" Josh said. "Everybody screws up once in a while."</p>
<p>"Yeah, but…" Danny hesitated for a second. "Have you ever done something you felt like you could never forgive yourself for?"</p>
<p>A shadow passed over Josh's eyes. "You'd be surprised."</p>
<p>However, the darkness in his eyes quickly faded as soon as it came. Had Danny imagined it?</p>
<p>"How do you cope with it?" Danny couldn't help but ask. He wasn't sure if the blond teen he barely knew was the right person to talk to about his problems but he figured that listening to someone with an objective view of the situation couldn't hurt.</p>
<p>Josh scratched the back of his head. "I'm not sure if I'm the one you should be asking. Our circumstances are different but if I were you, I'd grab the opportunity to fix things while I still can."</p>
<p>The teen had a faraway look in his eyes as he said that and Danny could detect an undertone of remorse. It made him wonder what exactly had Josh experienced to make him say that. After all, he'd seen that look many times before.</p>
<p>Danny saw it every time he looked in the mirror.</p>
<p>He was snapped out of his thoughts when the blond artist handed him a flyer. "What's this for?"</p>
<p>"A chance," Josh answered simply, before walking off and leaving Danny standing in the hallway deep in thought.</p>
<hr/>
<p>The Friday night dance was in full swing that evening as teenagers busted out moves on the dance floor. The committee had done a spanking job in organizing the event. The music was upbeat, there was plenty of food and snacks, the decorations were well done, and everyone was having a good time.</p>
<p>Kim in particular was having a blast. Why wouldn't she be? She had just foiled Drakken's latest scheme, finished rehearsing the new choreography for the squad, and best of all, she was dancing with Josh.</p>
<p>Oh yeah, life was good.</p>
<p>A bit further away, she noticed Ron showing off his dancing skills in a wild manner. The other teens gave the blond a wide berth so as not to be hit by his flailing arms and legs. She rolled her eyes at her friend's antics and turned her attention back to her own dance partner.</p>
<p>"Is he having a seizure?" Josh jokingly asked as he chuckled at the sight of her best friend busting out moves on the dance floor.</p>
<p>Kim giggled. "Oh he's fine."</p>
<p>Her date then spun her a few times and pulled her close as the song came to an end, leaving her flushed.</p>
<p>"I'll go get us some drinks." Josh offered before making his way to the punch bowl. "Save me a seat okay?"</p>
<p>"Sure." Kim smiled and took a seat at one of the tables. She leaned back into the chair and gave off a content sigh.</p>
<p>"Nice moves." Someone complimented.</p>
<p>She turned to the source and found Danny standing behind her with his hand in his pockets. He had apparently decided to dress up for tonight. He wore a black dress shirt that was tucked into his jeans and some brown loafers. He had even combed his hair a bit. All in all, Kim thought he looked good.</p>
<p>
  <em>Really good</em>
</p>
<p>"Uh, thanks." It took a moment for her to reply.</p>
<p>"So, where's the bon diggity dancer?" Danny asked with a hint of amusement.</p>
<p>Kim pointed to the dance floor. "He's over there doing the worm."</p>
<p>Danny whistled. "I have to give him props for that one."</p>
<p>Just then, without warning, someone had grabbed Danny by the back of his collar and started dragging him off. Kim only heard his startled gasp before she saw him get pulled out the exit. She was about to follow him to make sure he was alright but was stopped by a hand on her shoulder.</p>
<p>"I think he can handle that on his own." Josh said in a cryptic manner.</p>
<p>Kim could only stare at him in confusion as she received her drink from him. What was he talking about?</p>
<hr/>
<p>Danny was pushed against the nearby wall as soon as the door to the gym closed.</p>
<p>"You've got some nerve Fenton!" Bonnie scowled at him. Beside her was an equally unhappy looking Tara who had her arms crossed. "Who do you think you are, huh?"</p>
<p>"Bonnie, I—"</p>
<p>The girl raised up a hand to silence him. "Oh no, don't even think about interrupting me right now because I'm seriously fed up with your bullshit. No, you're going to shut up and listen!"</p>
<p>Danny wisely chose to clamp his mouth shut.</p>
<p>"One year." Bonnie began. "It's been one year since we've had an honest to God talk about our screwed up friendship and you know what? This stops now! I don't even know where to start with you! Do you have any idea how painful it was for us? Our friend has an accident and then a few weeks later he tells us to screw off? Why? Is it because you have weird ghost powers now? That's a weak excuse! After everything we've been through together, did you honestly think we would have let you deal with this alone? No! Tara and I would be there for you every step of the way. We WILL be there for you! Freaky ghost powers be damned and I swear if you say something silly like it's too dangerous, I will smack the crap out of you."</p>
<p>The girl panted from her long rant and the trio stood there in silence for a while letting her words sink in.</p>
<p>"You're right." Danny said in a soft tone.</p>
<p>The teen hung his head in shame as everything she said slammed into him like a freight train. "I should have trusted you two from the beginning. But I was afraid. I was afraid that I might scare you away with my powers. I was a coward and an idiot for not having faith in the two of you. I know that I could never forgive myself for what I did but I want you two to know that I'm truly sorry for everything. Even of you choose not to forgive me, I'd understand."</p>
<p>A pair of gentle hands placed themselves under his chin to raise his face. He was met with a sniffling and teary eyed blonde who was smiling at him. "Apology accepted."</p>
<p>She then pulled him into a fierce hug and Danny could only stare at her in stunned awe. "After everything I did…just like that?"</p>
<p>"Of course you idiot." Another pair of arms had wrapped around him as Bonnie buried her face into his shirt..</p>
<p>"We missed you." Tara mumbled.</p>
<p>Danny was had never felt overwhelmed with emotion before. He couldn't believe it. His mind just couldn't properly process it. However, before long, it felt like a dam had broken and a year's worth of loneliness and despair was washed away as he did something he hadn't done in a while: laugh.</p>
<p>He laughed and continued to do so despite the tears running down his face. It was a sound filled with pure joy as he felt a heavy burden being lifted from his shoulders. He returned the hug in full force and spun the girls once in the air, eliciting surprised squeals from them.</p>
<p>"Thank you." Danny whispered.</p>
<p>The three of them separated and just like that, the tense atmosphere that had hung over them for the whole year had evaporated.</p>
<p>"Don't think we'll let you off easy though." Bonnie said, wiping the tears from her face.</p>
<p>Danny chuckled. "I promise that I'll make up for everything as best as I can."</p>
<p>"Yeah, you better." Bonnie said in a huff, reverting back to her usual self while Tara just nodded in agreement.</p>
<p>"Well, now that you mention it, Jazz did send something in the mail the other day." Danny dug through his pocket and took out a green plastic card. "She said it was from a friend who's really into the latest fashion or something. It's a two hundred dollar gift card for that new store that's opening tomorrow."</p>
<p>The card was snatched out of his hand faster than he could blink. Danny would have to thank his sister later for sending it on short notice.</p>
<p>"It's a good start Fenton." Bonnie admitted as she admired the gift. "But you're not off the hook yet."</p>
<p>"You know, we could buy a lot of stuff with this." Tara said as her face formed into a smirk. "We'll probably have to carry a lot of bags. I'm not sure if the two of us will be able to handle it all."</p>
<p>The two of them smiled at him a little too sweetly and Danny gulped. He could already feel the weight of all those purchases on his arms. He let out an involuntary whimper.</p>
<p>Tara then grabbed his hand while Bonnie grabbed the other as they began to lead him back to the gym where the dance was. While he may not be the best dancer in the world, he didn't let that stop him from trying and for the first time in a long time, he felt completely at ease.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Breaking The Ice</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Jack, can we talk for a moment?" Maddie Fenton asked her husband who was in the midst of tinkering with their latest invention.</p>
<p>The hulking figure stiffened. "I didn't forget to take out the garbage again, did I? Or is it your birthday?"</p>
<p>"Relax dear, it's not about that." The woman couldn't resist a smile. Honestly, her husband could be so simpleminded sometimes. He'd get tunnel vision as soon as someone mentions ghosts and fudge and completely forget about everything else. Sure it could get annoying at times and she had to berate him often but she knew deep down that he was a good and honest man.</p>
<p>"Oh, okay." Jack sighed in relief. "Then what do you want to talk about?"</p>
<p>Maddie bit her lip in worry before replying. "It's about Danny."</p>
<p>He must have sensed the amount of concern emanating from her voice because he immediately dropped what he was doing and gave her his full attention.</p>
<p>"For the life of me, I can't figure out what's wrong." Maddie admitted in defeat as she plopped down on one of the lab chairs. "I caught him sneaking out again last night. God knows where he goes and I just feel so helpless because I know he won't tell us no matter how hard we try."</p>
<p>She felt as though she had failed as a mother. When did it all go so wrong? As far as she could remember, Danny had always been a happy child. The two of them did everything together back then: play games, have picnics, eat ice cream, watch movies. Even when she was working on their ghost projects, she would always make time for her kids, especially Danny.</p>
<p>At the time, Jazz had already started acting more mature for her age and insisted on being treated as an adult even though she was only nine years old. It made her wish that her daughter could have at least waited for a few more years to start acting like a grown up. Alas, the girl had always been too smart for her own good. Nevertheless, Maddie was proud of the woman her daughter had become and before she knew it, Jazz was already in college earning her degree in Psychology.</p>
<p>While Danny wasn't as brainy as his sister, he was far from stupid. Maddie never had to worry about receiving his report cards because he was always among the top of his class. Of course, she never had to worry about anything Danny did in the past because his two friends were always there to keep him in check. She was grateful for the presence of the two girls, who at this point she began to see as daughters of her own. Bonnie and Tara grounded her son to reality and gave him a reason to be a better person in general.</p>
<p>However, she noticed that the three of them seemed a little distant as of late. In the past, the two girls were regular guests at the Fenton household and visited at least once every week. Nowadays, they would only receive rare phone calls checking up on her son.</p>
<p>Thus, it brought her back to her current predicament. How on earth could she get her son to open up to her and Jack?</p>
<p>The scientist was snapped out of her musings when a large arm draped over her shoulder in comfort. She leaned into her husband's touch and she could tell that the whole situation bothered him too.</p>
<p>"I don't know what to tell you Mads." Jack said. "Danny's a good kid. He must be going through some sort of…phase."</p>
<p>Maddie couldn't help but snort at that. "There's a phase where a teenager sneaks out at one in the morning?"</p>
<p>Jack chuckled at her dry humor. "Maybe there is. You know how crazy kids are today. He could probably be at the disco for all we know and getting his groove on."</p>
<p>"Jack, discos went out of style along with afros and bell-bottom jeans." Maddie laughed. That was another thing she loved about her husband. He never failed to make her laugh or cheer her up.</p>
<p>"Well, whatever the case, I'm sure he knows that he can always come to us." Jack said confidently. "After all, he's a Fenton! And we Fentons stick together no matter what!"</p>
<p>"You're right honey." Maddie kissed him on the cheek affectionately. "Until then, we just have to be patient. But maybe we should consider speeding up the process a little. The three of us haven't been spending enough time as a family lately ever since Jazz left."</p>
<p>Jack suddenly brightened up as he remembered something. "And I know just how to do it!"</p>
<p>He stood up, swiped a piece of paper off the table and showed it to her. It was a permission slip Danny had given them to sign for a school trip.</p>
<p>"That's perfect!" Maddie said excitedly. "I'll go put our skis in the RV!"</p>
<hr/>
<p>"Please….have mercy…." Danny groaned as he struggled to keep pace with his two friends. His arms were loaded with shopping bags filled with an array of clothes, shoes, hats, and other items that the girls fancied. As usual, his pleas fell on deaf ears.</p>
<p>"Oh don't be such a baby." Bonnie rolled her eyes at him while Tara just giggled at the sight of him.</p>
<p>Truth be told, Danny didn't really mind being their pack mule all that much. Admittedly, he would have preferred watching a movie instead of browsing through multiple boutiques for clothes. Whoever invented the phrase "Shop till you drop" had obviously never met Bonnie and Tara. In less than an hour, the girls had already maxed out Jazz's two hundred dollar gift certificate. However, that didn't stop them from trying on at least two dozen outfits from each store that they visited before dragging him off to the next one.</p>
<p>Danny received many sympathetic looks from the male population who were in a similar state next to their respective girlfriends and wives.</p>
<p>Still, it was nice to be able to spend some time with the two outside of school. They were slowly but surely rebuilding their friendship over the past week since the dance. Danny had told them everything since he didn't want to keep any more secrets. He wasn't going to make the same mistake twice.</p>
<p>"Don't worry Danny, we're almost there." Tara patted him on the shoulder.</p>
<p>"That doesn't actually make me feel any better." Danny nervously replied.</p>
<p>"Oh I wasn't trying to comfort you." Tara smirked. "I was just reminding you of what you're in for when we arrive."</p>
<p>"Gee, thanks."</p>
<p>The reason for Danny's frayed nerves was due to the fact that they were headed towards Tara's house where her parents were waiting. He had already gotten an earful from Mrs. Rockwaller about what happened over the past year and why he wasn't able to visit as much as before. She eventually forgave him after explaining a few things, leaving out the part about him having ghost powers of course, and promising to visit more often.</p>
<p>The trio stopped in front of a huge ornate metal gate while Tara pressed an intercom button.</p>
<p>"How may I help you?" A man's voice was heard from the speaker.</p>
<p>"It's me Clyde, we're coming in." Tara said.</p>
<p>The large gate opened a moment later and the three strolled inside.</p>
<p>Danny had almost forgotten how large Tara's house was, if you could even call it that. The large driveway led to a huge two story mansion that looked straight out of a Forbes magazine. A large stone fountain was set in front of the house on a circular island of grass and decorative plants. A few luxury cars were parked off to the side and the teen even spotted an old Cadillac that was in pristine condition.</p>
<p>Tara's butler, Clyde, was waiting for them at the front door.</p>
<p>"Welcome home, Ms. Tara." Clyde greeted formally. "It is also good to see you again Mr. Fenton."</p>
<p>"Just Danny is fine." The teen said. "Mr. Fenton makes me sound old."</p>
<p>Bonnie then cleared her throat. "What about my greeting Clyde?"</p>
<p>The middle-aged butler sighed and turned to Tara.</p>
<p>"Humor her." The blonde smiled in amusement.</p>
<p>"Very well," Clyde said, before facing Bonnie. "How are you this afternoon Lady Mary Crawley?"</p>
<p>"I'm fine, thanks for asking." Bonnie replied with a rather satisfied look on her face.</p>
<p>Tara shook her head and decided to interrupt. "Are my parents here?"</p>
<p>"Mr. and Mrs. Strong are waiting for you in the living room." Clyde relieved a grateful Danny of his heavy baggage. "I shall be taking these to your room."</p>
<p>"Thanks Clyde!" Tara said, before leading them inside. "Why do you always have to make him call you that?"</p>
<p>Bonnie shrugged innocently. "What? Downton Abbey was a good show. Plus, it's fun."</p>
<p>The three friends found Tara's parents relaxing on one of the plush couches in the living room.</p>
<p>Jonathan Strong looked like he just got home from work. He was still dressed in his dark blue suit with the tie loosened around his neck while his coat was draped over one of the armrests. The man's feet were propped up on the coffee table much to the ire of his wife sitting next to him.</p>
<p>Tara's mother, Alison Strong, was flipping through a magazine when she heard them enter. "Oh, Tara, you're back. How was the shopping trip?"</p>
<p>The blonde greeted her mother with a hug and her dad with a peck on the cheek as she joined her parents on the couch.</p>
<p>"Oh it was great! I bought a really cute blouse and some gorgeous earrings to match!" Tara gushed. "We even got a pair of Stiletto's for the both of us."</p>
<p>"Yes we did." Bonnie said before crashing unceremoniously onto another couch and helping herself to some biscuits on the table. "It took hours to find the right dress to go with it too. Isn't that right, Danny?"</p>
<p>The teen stiffened as the gaze of the two adults shifted towards him.</p>
<p>"I didn't know we had a visitor." Mr. Strong spoke and Danny couldn't help but wince at the tone he used. It was a neutral tone that one would normally reserve for strangers.</p>
<p>Tara's parents rose from their seats and Danny gulped as they stopped to stand in front of him. He had known the two adults for most of his life and he couldn't remember them ever looking so intimidating before. They were usually a pretty friendly and inviting couple. Unfortunately for Danny, he wasn't staring at the same couple but their counterparts: The strict no nonsense owner of Strong International and the head chef for a Michelin Star rated restaurant in Paris.</p>
<p>"Well, what do you have to say for yourself young man?" Mrs. Strong crossed her arms and leveled her hard gaze.</p>
<p>"Care to explain to us why we haven't heard from you in over a year?" Tara's father raised a questioning eyebrow. "Is there any particular reason that you never visit anymore or that you can't even bother to pick up a phone?"</p>
<p>Danny forced himself not to fidget under their stern gaze but it was a losing battle. After his talk with Bonnie's mom, he already accepted the fact that they would be less than pleased with him. The three friends grew up spending so much time in one or the other's house every week that they were practically extended family. Of course they'd be pissed at him.</p>
<p>"I'm not going to come up with a half-ass excuse for what I did." Danny tried to meet their eyes as best as he could. "I know that I screwed up big time and for that I really am sorry. It's not much of an apology but I swear I'll try to be much more conscious of my actions in the future."</p>
<p>The two parents scrutinized him for a few more seconds and shared a knowing look before turning back to him.</p>
<p>And to Danny's great surprise, they both smiled at him. "Apology accepted."</p>
<p>"J-just like that?" Danny stuttered in shock. "B-but, I….wait, huh?"</p>
<p>"Oh Danny, we were just messing with you." Alison walked up and gave the shocked teenager a warm hug. "Tara told us everything and how you're patching things up so I see no need to give you any more grief over this."</p>
<p>Danny shot Tara an alarmed look.</p>
<p>
  <em>You told her everything? As in even the GHOST part? The part I specifically told you NOT to tell anyone else about?</em>
</p>
<p>The blonde gave her friend an exasperated look.</p>
<p>
  <em>Of course not, dummy.</em>
</p>
<p>Bonnie merely snickered as she caught the exchange silent exchange between them.</p>
<p>"Besides, I need someone to keep the testosterone flowing in this house." Jonathan patted him on the back. "I'm kind of outnumbered here. Plus, there's someone else who you need to apologize to."</p>
<p>As if on cue, Danny felt someone deliver a hard kick to his shin. "Ow!"</p>
<p>"You jerk!"</p>
<p>The teen turned to face his attacker while he rubbed his leg. Behind him stood a very ticked off ten year old girl who was glaring daggers at him. Her blonde hair was drawn up in a ponytail and she was still wearing her prep school uniform which consisted of a dark checkered skirt, a white button shirt, red tie and a dark red coat with the school logo on the left.</p>
<p>"Oh hi, Sarah," Danny tried for a smile but Tara's younger sister merely huffed and stormed passed him to join the older blonde on the couch. "Hey come on, I said I was sorry."</p>
<p>"You did miss out on her birthday last month." Bonnie reminded him.</p>
<p>"Shame on you, Danny," Tara gave him an exaggeratedly disappointed look.</p>
<p>Alison tapped her chin in thought before throwing him a knowing look. "I think there's one way you can make it up to her. I'm sure you know what to do, right Daniel?"</p>
<p>Unfortunately for him, he knew exactly what Tara's mother was referring to. "You want me to do <em>that</em>? B-but I haven't done that since she was seven! I don't even remember half of the words!"</p>
<p>"That's too bad." Jonathan sighed dramatically. "I'm afraid that's the only way to get into Sarah's good graces again."</p>
<p>The girl in question only glared at him expectantly. Bonnie and Tara were trying to hold in their snickers while Mr. and Mrs. Strong were trying to guilt trip him with their sad looks.</p>
<p>
  <em>Aw, man….The things I do for these people…</em>
</p>
<p>"Fine," Danny grumbled. "Give me a second."</p>
<p>The four of them cheered and made themselves comfortable while Sarah shifted her position on the couch to get a better view. Danny took a deep breath and racked his brain to remember the lyrics to a song he made up for a little girl who was so scared to go to the dentist for the first time. How did it go again? It went something like…</p>
<p>"<em>When I'm feeling lonely,</em></p>
<p>
  <em>Sad as I can be,</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>All by myself on an uncharted island in an endless sea,</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>What makes me happy?</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Fills me up with glee,</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Those bones in my jaw that don't have a flaw,</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>My shiny teeth and me"</em>
</p>
<p>Danny saw Mrs. Strong take out a tambourine from under the couch and started tapping it in rhythm to the song. Bonnie and Tara were also clapping along and he couldn't help feel like he'd been set up from the beginning. He mentally sighed and thought: What the heck?</p>
<p>"<em>My shiny teeth that twinkle just like the stars in space,</em></p>
<p>
  <em>My shiny teeth that sparkle, adding beauty to my face,</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>My shiny teeth that glisten just like a Christmas tree,</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>You know they walk a mile just to see me smile, Wooh!</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>My shiny teeth and me,"</em>
</p>
<p>He heard someone giggle and saw that Sarah was cheerfully bobbing her head to the song.</p>
<p>"<em>Yes they're all so perfect, so white and pearly,</em></p>
<p>
  <em>Brush, gargle, rinse, a couple of breath mints,</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>My shiny teeth and me,</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>My shiny teeth so awesome, just like my favorite song,</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>My shiny teeth I flaws them so they grow to be real strong,</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>My shiny teeth I love them and they all love me,</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Why should I talk to you when I got thirty two? Wooh!</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>My shiny teeth and me"</em>
</p>
<p>Danny then proceeded to twirl and then pose as he pointed at random directions, much to everyone's enjoyment.</p>
<p>"<em>My shiny teeth that twinkle just like the stars in space,</em></p>
<p>
  <em>My shiny teeth that sparkle, adding beauty to my face,</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>My shiny teeth that glisten just like a Christmas tree,</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>You know they walk a mile just to see me smile, Wooh!</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>My shiny teeth and me,</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>My shiny teeth and me,</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>My shiny teeth and me!"</em>
</p>
<p>He was met with a round of applause and laughter. The teen walked up to the youngest person in the room and raised an inquisitive eyebrow. "So am I forgiven now?"</p>
<p>"Maybe," Sarah attempted to look cross. However, Danny could see hints of a smile breaking through. After a few moments, her defenses started to crack and she decided to give him a brief hug. "Don't ever ignore us like that again butt-head!"</p>
<p>"Oh don't worry honey." Alison said. "I'm sure he's learned his lesson. Isn't that right, Clyde?"</p>
<p>"Indeed, Madam." The middle-aged butler walked in holding a video camera. It took the teen a second to register the fact that his whole silly song and dance number had been recorded.</p>
<p>"You guys suck."</p>
<p>The only response he received was more rounds of laughter.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Kim had lost count of how many times she groaned while burying her face in her hands. The reason for her current state of distress was none other than the couple in front of the bus singing Ninety Nine Bottles of Pop. Don't get her wrong, she loved her parents to death but couldn't they just enjoy the ride to the ski lodge in silence? No, apparently not.</p>
<p>"It could be worse, you know." Danny said after noticing her plight.</p>
<p>"How could this possibly be any worse?" Kim demanded.</p>
<p>"Well…"</p>
<p>"Danny! Are you sure you don't need to drink anything?" The loud amplified voice of Maddie Fenton blared out. "I know that you get car sick really bad on long trips and I don't want a repeat of what happened last time."</p>
<p>"She's right Danny!" Jack Fenton cut in over the RV's PA system. "We had to stop in a gas station so that poor Jazzy pants could change out of her vomit stained shirt! How about a song to take your mind off your car sickness? I know a great one! Ninety nine ghosts on the wall…"</p>
<p>He then continued to sing his own version of the song by replacing bottles with ghosts and then shooting it down.</p>
<p>"Oh…" Kim said, realizing what he meant by worse.</p>
<p>"Yeah," Danny scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. "The good news is that I could always pitch myself off the mountain. Maybe even feed myself to a pack of wolves or a bear."</p>
<p>"Or you could jump in a frozen lake." Kim laughed a little at his weak attempt at humor and decided to meet him halfway. It helped take her mind off the fact that her parents were telling the kids in front stories about her when she was six. "You'd make a nice ice sculpture."</p>
<p>He chuckled in response. "At least I'd be the main attraction at parties."</p>
<p>Kim had no idea what happened but it was a like a switch had been flipped ever since the dance and now Danny was acting much more cheerful than before. Apparently he had patched things up with Bonnie and Tara because she'd found the three of them sitting together at lunch the other day. In fact everyone was pretty surprised by the change. He wasn't as aloof as before and was actually pretty funny when he wanted to be. She'd gotten to know him a little better during their tutoring sessions and they had built up a friendship of sorts.</p>
<p>Unfortunately for Kim, their playful banter was ruined by Bonnie's complaints.</p>
<p>"Remind me again why we have to sit in the back with her." She said, giving Kim an annoyed look.</p>
<p>"Believe me Bon-Bon, I don't like it either." The red-head shot back. "You're not exactly Miss Congeniality even during the best of times."</p>
<p>Lightning could have erupted from both of their eyes as the two glared at each other. It had been Bonnie who called her parents and invited them to be the school trip chaperones along with the Fentons who had volunteered. Currently, she was at the very top of her least favorite person list. In fact, she was the list.</p>
<p>Danny was unlucky enough to be sat in between the two girls and could only glance from one to the other awkwardly. Ron was too engrossed in the newspaper he brought to pay attention to anything else and Tara was simply filing her nails to pass the time. The five of them had been the last to board the bus which led them to sit together at the very back.</p>
<p>"Check this out KP!" Ron all but shoved the newspaper in her face. "They're offering a reward for anyone who could snap a clear photo of the snow beast! Five thousand dollars, can you believe it?"</p>
<p>"I can't believe you're stupid enough to buy into that crap Stoppable." Bonnie scoffed.</p>
<p>"Leave him alone Bonnie." Kim growled. "Unlike some, he doesn't spend every single waking moment tormenting someone else."</p>
<p>"Which reminds me," The tan girl smirked. "Mrs. Possible, can you tell us a story about Kim on one of your family trips?"</p>
<p>"You little bi—,"</p>
<p>"Sure thing Bonnie," Anne replied enthusiastically. "You should have seen Kim on one of our trips to the beach. She was so adorable in…"</p>
<p>Mom then launched into a graphic story and Kim knew there was no stopping her. The rest of the trip passed by in total humiliation as the school bus nearly shook with laughter. Danny gave her a sympathetic pat on the shoulder while she contemplated on jumping out the window and burying her head in the snow to drown out the amount of mortification she felt.</p>
<p>Thankfully, they had made it to the lodge just before her Dad could tell another narrative.</p>
<p>"Alright, everyone make sure you don't leave any of your personal belongings on the bus." James Possible announced as they started exiting the vehicle. Everyone gathered up their luggage and started making their way inside, except for two people.</p>
<p>"See you later KP!" Ron hefted his bag on his shoulders and followed Mr. Barkin into the mountains.</p>
<p>"Wow, even Mr. B wants a shot at that five grand." Danny said.</p>
<p>"Yeah, I guess so." Kim sighed. "Now I've got to do damage control all by myself."</p>
<p>"Welcome to the club, fellow outcast."</p>
<p>"Danny there you are!" A giant of a man came up from behind and heartily slapped his son on the back. "Here you forgot your Fenton thermal jacket! It helps fight against the chill and even has a built in specter deflector."</p>
<p>Kim had to fight back a snicker as his dad held up the jacket. It was made up of bright orange material and stitched on the front was a large face of Jack Fenton. She couldn't blame Danny at all for looking at the offending piece of clothing warily. Little did she know that it was for different a reason.</p>
<p>"Uh, thanks dad but I think I'm fine with this one." Danny said, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "So where's mom?"</p>
<p>"She went ahead inside to catch up with Bonnie and Tara." Jack answered. "Are you sure you won't need this?"</p>
<p>"Positive." Danny said a little too quickly. "Maybe we should head inside too. I think they serve some hot fudge here."</p>
<p>Jack was gone as soon as he heard the word fudge. Kim was a bit astounded. For a man his size, he could move pretty fast when he wanted to.</p>
<p>"So this is the outcast club, huh?" Kim smirked teasingly.</p>
<p>"Yep, it doesn't get any better than this." Danny said with mock gusto.</p>
<p>Kim rolled her eyes at his antics before leading them to the lodge. The main lobby was warm and decorated like a huge log cabin. A large fireplace stood near the reception area where most of their classmates were queued for their room assignments. Over in the corner, she saw a pretty woman in a hazmat suit and jacket chatting with Bonnie and Tara. She could only assume that the woman was Danny's mother, Maddie Fenton.</p>
<p>Luckily, she failed to spot her own parents in the crowd of students which means she was safe for now.</p>
<p>"Hey, Danny we should probably get our room keys…" Whatever she was about to say trailed off as she was caught off guard by the expression he was making.</p>
<p>Danny looked absolutely murderous and for some reason it sent a chill up her spine. His fists were clenched at his side and his scowl was so fierce that it was actually a terrifying thing to behold if she were to be honest. What's gotten into him all of a sudden?</p>
<p>"Well, isn't this a pleasant surprise." A smooth and silky voice spoke up from behind them.</p>
<p>"Pleasant isn't exactly the word I'd use." Danny growled as he turned to face the man. "But it's a surprise alright."</p>
<p>The man only smiled at him. He was a few inches taller than Danny and he wore his nearly white hair in a neat ponytail. His beard was trimmed short and it was clear by the way he dressed that he was a man who wasn't shy with his wealth. It took a moment for Kim to recognize him due to the fact that she'd only seen him once in a magazine featuring the extremely rich and famous.</p>
<p>"Good to see you again, Daniel." Vlad Masters grinned patronizingly down at the raven-haired teen. "How's life been treating you?"</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Small Talk</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Was it too much to ask for a nice and quiet weekend that did not involve ghosts for once? He may have patched things up with his two friends but that didn't mean that the ghost attacks have stopped. In fact, they've only gotten worse ever since the Lunch Lady fiasco and now he had to work twice as hard to catch them. Having Bonnie and Tara cover for him at school helped lighten his load a bit but he was still behind on his school work thanks to his increased late night activities.</p>
<p>And now, Vlad Masters of all people shows up and if his past experiences with the older half-ghost proved anything, it was the fact that the billionaire always had an ulterior motive.</p>
<p>Well, this trip was ruined.</p>
<p>"What are you doing here?" Danny was barely able to keep his tone civil as he spoke. He didn't want to cause a scene, especially with Kim standing next to him.</p>
<p>Vlad merely smiled. "Believe it or not Daniel, but even I have to take breaks now and again. And what better way to spend the weekend than a stay at an excellent lodge up in the mountains?"</p>
<p>The man's attention then turned to Kim, who looked visibly uncomfortable as she felt left out of the conversation.</p>
<p>"Aren't you going to introduce me to your friend, Daniel?" Vlad asked. "It's quite rude to ignore a lady after all."</p>
<p>"Kim, this is Vlad Masters, he was a friend of my dad's from college." A hint of venom slipped out when he said the word friend. Danny was the only one who knew of the fact that Vlad had tried to kill his father on more than one occasion in order to get to him and his mother.</p>
<p>"It's a pleasure to meet you Mr. Masters." Kim shook the man's hand.</p>
<p>Vlad gave her a gentle smile. "Oh no my dear, the pleasure is mine. I've read tabloids of your many exploits and I must say I am quite impressed. Not many people can do what you do. To meet you here in person is indeed a wonderful surprise."</p>
<p>"It's no big." Kim waved off the compliments but Danny could tell that she was pleased if the tint of pink on her cheeks was anything to go by.</p>
<p>Danny hated to admit it but Vlad could be charismatic when he wanted to be. He fell for the same act when they first met in Wisconsin. He plays up the generous billionaire angle so well that you'd think that all he ever did was donate money for kitten charity or something.</p>
<p>"I think I'll go get my room assignment and let you two catch up." Kim said, oblivious to any tension between the two. "I'll see you later Danny."</p>
<p>"So that was the world famous teen hero." Vlad remarked once the red-head was out of hearing range. "I must say that I find myself a bit underwhelmed. Perhaps if she wasn't so naïve, she would make an excellent subordinate wouldn't you agree, Daniel?"</p>
<p>"If she knew who you really were, I doubt she'd want to be anywhere near you." Danny replied, glaring at the man. "Now can we cut the bullshit already and get to the point? Why are you really here, Plasmius?"</p>
<p>Vlad's smile turned a bit sinister at the mention of his alter-ego. "You're as crass and short-tempered as always, I see. Do you honestly think I'd just up and tell you what I'm after? Come now, you're better than that. I'm sure you'll be able to figure it out sooner or later."</p>
<p>"I could always just beat the answer out of you." Danny mentioned, his eyes flashing bright green for a moment.</p>
<p>Vlad's eyes turned blood red in response. "I'd like to see you try. After all, I'm curious to see how you've progressed since our last encounter. So go ahead, Daniel, throw the first punch. However, I must ask you to not hold me responsible if anything…unpleasant happens in the midst of our battle."</p>
<p>The older man glanced to the side where Bonnie and Tara were chatting with his mom.</p>
<p>"Don't even think about dragging them into this Vlad." Danny snarled as his fists shook at his sides. He knew that the man wouldn't hesitate to use any means necessary to win even if it meant putting innocent people in harm's way.</p>
<p>"I wouldn't dream of it, Daniel." Vlad said sarcastically. He placed a hand on Danny's shoulder and leaned in to whisper. "But if you test my patience, I just might pay your little friends a visit. Tell me, do they know what it feels like to be overshadowed by a ghost? Many people are known for meeting their end in fatal accidents in the mountains, after all."</p>
<p>
  <em>This conniving son of a bitch…</em>
</p>
<p>The man smirked in satisfaction as he saw the look of fury on Danny's face. "I'm glad we've come to an understanding. Now if I were you I'd wipe that glare you're giving me off because your bumbling oaf of a father is coming over."</p>
<p>"Hey, look who it is!" Jack walked up to them. "I didn't expect to see you here V-man!"</p>
<p>"Oh you know how it is, Jack." Vlad plastered on a fake smile. "Apparently I'm all work and no play but I've decided to change that for now. What's the point of having all that money if you don't splurge a little, am I right?"</p>
<p>Jack let out a booming laughter that gained the attention of several guests. "That's true. We haven't seen you since the reunion! It's about time you left that castle of yours."</p>
<p>Vlad forced a mild chuckle. "Indeed, in fact I was just on my way to my room when I ran into young Daniel here. He and I were just catching up."</p>
<p>"Yeah, Uncle Vlad here was just asking me to show him around." Danny said after being struck with an idea. He threw a smirk at the white-haired billionaire before acting disappointed. "I really wish I could but I still have to get my room assignments and I promised Bonnie and Tara that we'd head up the mountain as soon as we checked in. Maybe you could show him around instead, dad."</p>
<p>Vlad's eyebrow twitched in annoyance as he threw a quick glare in Danny's direction. If there was anything that drove the man up the wall, it was spending time with Jack Fenton. It was petty revenge sure, but the teen would take what he could get.</p>
<p>"That's a great idea Danny!" Jack said before enthusiastically, giving Vlad a hard slap on the back that nearly made him stumble. "You're going to love this place V-man! Come on, I'll show you where they serve the fudge."</p>
<p>The white-haired billionaire tried for a smile and instead looked like he had just swallowed something really disgusting. Vlad gave him the stink eye as Jack led him to the snack bar. Danny only grinned and waved just as they disappeared down the hall.</p>
<p>Danny's mocking grin was soon replaced by a thoughtful frown. There was no chance in hell that it was mere coincidence that Vlad was here. He never did anything without a reason or at least something that would benefit him in some way. He needed to find out soon or else it would probably be too late.</p>
<p>"There you are!" Bonnie smacked him on the arm, shaking him from his thoughts. "Come on, Tara's getting impatient and frankly, so am I. I want to see if I can squeeze out one more embarrassing story out of Kim's mom before we go skiing."</p>
<p>"Yeah, alright," Danny agreed as the two fell in line to get their room keys.</p>
<p>Bonnie studied him. "Are you okay?"</p>
<p>"I'm fine." Danny said, but she didn't look convinced so he added. "I'll tell you both later."</p>
<hr/>
<p>Ron was panting as he followed Mr. Barkin up the mountain. Trudging through the thick snow while he carried his large backpack was starting to take its toll. In hindsight, he should have dropped his stuff off back at the lodge before taking a hike. But alas, the promise of five thousand dollars had blinded him.</p>
<p>Curse you greed.</p>
<p>"Can't we…get some… snow mobiles or something?" Ron asked between his heavy breaths. "Or maybe we could get some…whew…alpacas to carry us there?"</p>
<p>"Man up Stoppable!" Mr. Barkin told him. "You want that reward money then you've got to earn it."</p>
<p>"I'm starting to want it less and less." Ron muttered. He could be sipping some hot cocoa or shredding downhill right now. He probably wouldn't have minded as much if he didn't have a drill sergeant as company.</p>
<p>Rufus poked his head out of his pocket and chattered something that sounded like a complaint. The little guy must have been freezing.</p>
<p>"Stay strong buddy." The blond patted him on the head.</p>
<p>"Let's see some hustle, Stoppable!"</p>
<p>Ron sighed and picked up his pace in order to catch up with the large teacher. There had better be a snow monster up here for this to be worth it or else he was writing that newspaper a really angry letter. Man, what he would give for an alpaca right now.</p>
<hr/>
<p>"Care to tell us why you dragged us into your parents' weird RV?" Bonnie crossed her arms as she watched Danny punch in the access code to open a panel that held an array of equipment.</p>
<p>"No offense Danny, but it's kind of a mess in here." Tara scrunched up her nose as she picked up a discarded candy wrapper. "When was the last time your dad cleaned this thing?"</p>
<p>However, the raven-haired teen ignored them as he took down something from the wall. They looked like two metallic belts that had green circuits running through it. Danny held one out for each of them.</p>
<p>"I need you two to wear these." Danny said, showed the belts. "At least until this trip is over. Don't take them off for any reason unless you have to or when I say it's safe."</p>
<p>Bonnie put her hands on her hips. "Listen, I'm not doing anything until you tell us why you're acting paranoid all of a sudden. So spill it, Fenton."</p>
<p>"Remember what I told you about me being a half-ghost?" Danny asked, to which they nodded. "Well, I'm not exactly the only one…"</p>
<p>He then launched into the tale of how he'd encountered Vlad back in Wisconsin during his parents' college reunion. Apparently, it had only been an excuse to lure Danny's father so that Plasmius could get revenge for accidentally turning him into a ghost when they were attempting to build the portal for the first time. Danny had been able to beat him by threatening to reveal both of their identities and the two had come to a sort of truce.</p>
<p>Bonnie and Tara sat there and took some time to process everything they had just been told.</p>
<p>"I knew there was something wrong with that man." Tara shivered. "I met him once during a charity ball dad took us to. He tried talking my dad into signing a deal with his company and when daddy refused, there was a moment that I thought his eyes changed color. It was so freaky."</p>
<p>"No kidding." Bonnie frowned. "I also can't believe he's so fixated on your mom and that he's willing to kill your dad to get to you and her. What a nut job."</p>
<p>"Vlad's got more than a few screws loose for sure." Danny said. "But he's had more time to master his powers and he's also pretty cunning. The only reason I survived our first encounter was because the ghost of the Dairy King helped me escape. If he hadn't shown up when he did..."</p>
<p>Bonnie shuddered to think about what would have happened to her best friend.</p>
<p>"The bottom line is, he's dangerous." Danny handed them the belts. "So while he's here, I'm not taking any chances. If he tries anything, these Specter Deflectors will protect you. As long as you wear them, no ghost will be able to touch you without getting zapped. Please, trust me on this."</p>
<p>Bonnie accepted one while Tara took the other. She might have been hesitant at first but seeing the look in Danny's eyes gave her pause. She'd never heard him sound so agitated before and the way he was so eager to keep them safe touched her. Ever since they were little, he had always looked out for them by fending off bullies that teased Tara and her. Now, years later, a crazed fruit loop with ghost powers was after him and yet here he was thinking about them first instead of his own safety. How could she doubt him?</p>
<p>"We trust you Danny." Bonnie said, giving his hand a squeeze. "Don't worry, we won't take it off unless you give us the go ahead."</p>
<p>He gave her a grateful smile.</p>
<p>"You know, they're actually kind of stylish." Tara said, putting her belt on and admiring it. "I have a blouse back home that would go perfectly with this."</p>
<p>Danny chuckled. "Good to know. Come on, let's head back. It's been a while since I've snowboarded and I can't wait to kick both your asses down the mountain again."</p>
<p>"Last time was a draw and you know it!" Bonnie argued.</p>
<p>"I'll have you both know that I've been practicing." Tara claimed proudly. "I'm not face planting again."</p>
<p>"Well ladies, care to see who the true ruler of the mountain is?" Danny challenged.</p>
<p>The two girls shared a smirk. "You're on."</p>
<hr/>
<p>Kim stormed out of the lobby in sheer frustration. She'd once again failed in her efforts to minimize her embarrassment and decided that she needed to get away from her parents for a while. If she had to hear another story about her stripping on the front lawn when she was two years old, Kim would lose it. The only consolation she received was that Bonnie wasn't around to document her humiliation like she said she would.</p>
<p>She made her way onto the large front porch that the lodge had converted into a dining area where you had a great view of the mountains. She found an empty table at the far side and sat down. The crisp mountain air helped ease some of her agitation. A couple of her classmates snickered when they passed her table and Kim could only groan as her forehead landed on the table.</p>
<p>By the time they got back to school after this trip, she'd need to find a paper bag to wear over her face.</p>
<p>It made her wonder how Danny was able to bear with his parents' antics. He was hardly fazed when he had walked into a net trap that the Fentons had set up in one of the hallways and ended up having to shower him with the same green goop that they used during the ghost attack at school. He brushed off their apologies easily, assuring them that it was fine while ignoring the stares and murmurs thrown his way.</p>
<p>Perhaps it was because of his time spent being shunned and ignored for a whole year that gave him thicker skin when it came to rumors and the occasional insult towards him. Kim could tell that he only acted bothered and embarrassed in order to help make her feel like someone else was sharing the same boat as her. Whatever the case, she was grateful to him because of it.</p>
<p>"Experiencing some teenage troubles, Miss Possible?"</p>
<p>Kim was a bit startled by the sudden appearance of Vlad Masters standing in front of her table.</p>
<p>"May I?" The man gestured to the empty chair.</p>
<p>"Oh of course," Kim nodded as she straightened up.</p>
<p>The billionaire gave her a gracious smile. "Thank you. I suppose that misery does indeed love company."</p>
<p>"Is it that obvious?" Kim asked.</p>
<p>Mr. Master gave a slight chuckle at that. "My dear, it is quite apparent if you ask me but don't worry, I won't pry any further. All I ask in return is to please inform me if you ever happen to spot my…overly enthusiastic friend heading my way."</p>
<p>"You mean Mr. Fenton? Why?"</p>
<p>The man gave her a tired smile. "Jack can get a little carried away at times. I don't know where he gets that boundless energy from but unfortunately, I'm not as young as I used to be and it is quite hard to keep up."</p>
<p>"That's true," Kim let out a small laugh but then hastily added. "I meant Mr. Fenton having a lot of energy, not the part about you being old."</p>
<p>"No harm done." Mr. Masters waved it off in good nature. "It's the hair isn't it?"</p>
<p>Kim nodded. "Maybe you could dye it black?"</p>
<p>Before long, the two of them had settled into an easy and polite conversation. They didn't touch on any personal topics and focused on the simple matters such as her school and Mr. Master's job. He seemed pretty interested in her hero work but then again, many people were. At first, they couldn't believe that a regular high school cheerleader would be traveling the world and stopping mad scientists during her spare time.</p>
<p>"You managed to save the whole village from the flood?" Mr. Masters asked after she had finished recounting one of her missions. "And yet you still made it back home in time for your ten o'clock curfew?"</p>
<p>"It was no big and I still got scolded a bit for almost missing it." Kim said modestly.</p>
<p>"Parents will be parents." Mr. Masters replied.</p>
<p>The two of them then settled into an awkward silence. The billionaire took a sip of his steaming mug of coffee that he had ordered for the both of them. She had tried to refuse but he had insisted. At least it helped fight the chill.</p>
<p>The silence persisted for a few more minutes until Kim decided to break it.</p>
<p>"Mr. Masters, can I ask you something?" Kim began.</p>
<p>The man raised an eyebrow. "You just did but go ahead."</p>
<p>"Why is Danny mad at you?"</p>
<p>Earlier in the lobby, she had noticed the tightness in Danny's voice when he addressed the older man. He had tried to hide it but the hard look in his eyes spoke otherwise. Vlad had seemed unfazed by it or perhaps he just hid it better than Danny did but it was there. It was at that point that she had decided to excuse herself.</p>
<p>"Ah, you caught on to that, did you?" Vlad looked a bit disappointed when he said that. "It's nothing to worry about my dear, I assure you. It's just that me and Daniel had a little…disagreement of sorts during our last meeting and it seems he still holds a grudge."</p>
<p>"What was it about?" She mentally slapped herself. She didn't have any business butting into other people's personal affairs. He had been polite enough not to ask about hers and here she was doing the exact opposite. Way to go Kim. "On second thought, forget I asked."</p>
<p>"No it's fine." Vlad sighed morosely. "I can't say I blame Daniel for acting the way he did. You see, his parents and I have a history together. We were pretty close back in college and loathe as I am to admit but I had been infatuated with Maddie at the time. Perhaps it was partly my fault. I might have acted more friendly than I should have back during our college reunion. Danny must have caught wind of my past feelings from the stories being thrown around that night and came to the wrong conclusion."</p>
<p>Kim didn't know how to respond to that. She had to take a second to process everything he had just said but now that she thought about it, it did start to make sense. She didn't know Danny's side of the story yet but she understood the gist of it. Honestly, their whole argument was just a big misunderstanding. If Kim had been in Danny's position, she might have also acted pretty defensively if someone other than her dad tried to hit on her mom. But she also couldn't blame Vlad either. Sure he might have had a thing for her back then but he wasn't actively flirting with her was he?</p>
<p>"I'm sure the two of you can work it out eventually." Kim assured him. "Danny's a reasonable guy. I'm sure if the two of you would just talk then the problem will fix itself."</p>
<p>"You sound so sure." Vlad took another sip of his coffee. "I thank you for your input Miss Possible and perhaps I will try to make amends like you said. Hopefully Daniel is willing to listen."</p>
<p>Kim was about to say more when she spotted someone exiting the lobby and onto the porch. "Umm, Mr. Masters, remember that thing you told me about?"</p>
<p>He caught her meaningful look and his eyes widened. "Oh well look at the time, I believe I must be off. Enjoy the rest of your school trip Miss Possible. It was a pleasure. "</p>
<p>"I hope you do too, Mr. Masters." Kim said, as he stood to leave. "Good luck with Danny."</p>
<p>The man nodded. He didn't get very far when he stopped and said. "Oh and Miss Possible, before I go I wish to offer you some advice of my own. I read about the ghost attack at your school and I recommend caution in the future. Spectral beings are not trivial opponents and they are very cunning and deceitful. Do not under any circumstances trust a ghost, no matter what shape and size."</p>
<p>Kim frowned. "Why do you say that?"</p>
<p>"I told you that the Fentons and I had been very close back in our college years. Together, the three of us devoted most of our time studying these beings. I may have slacked off in my research nowadays in favor of business but I still consider myself an expert on the subject. Ghosts are the manifestations of their earthly attachments and desires which are called their obsessions. They will do everything in their power to acquire it. Without it, they will cease to exist. Bear that in mind the next time you cross paths with them."</p>
<p>Before Kim could ponder too deeply about what he said, a booming voice cut through the chatter of the other guests. "Vladdie my man, there you are!"</p>
<p>Needles to say, Mr. Masters booked it out of there with Jack Fenton hot in pursuit.</p>
<p>Chatting with the man had been a nice distraction. She had almost forgotten the situation with her parents and the fact that her best friend had ditched her to hunt some snow beast. Come to think if it, that had been hours ago. Maybe she should go see if Ron had made it back yet.</p>
<p>"KIM!"</p>
<p>Speak of the devil. Her best friend burst onto the porch like a madman and nearly tripped over himself when he ran over to her table. He was panting heavily as he rested his hands on his knees.</p>
<p>"You're….not…believe…..huge…..whew….want….alpaca…next time."</p>
<p>"Take it easy there Ron." Kim asked a nearby waiter if she could get a glass of water. "What happened? Did you find your snow monster?"</p>
<p>Ron opened his mouth to reply but he was abruptly cut off by an inhuman sound that made everyone freeze.</p>
<p>
  <em>ROOOAAAARRR!</em>
</p>
<p>"Yeah, funny you should mention that."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Tussle In The Snow</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Bonnie spat out a few flecks of snow from her mouth as she sat up. "I call for a rematch!"</p>
<p>Danny groaned beside her. "Well, maybe if you hadn't tried to cheat by crashing into me, then we both wouldn't have face-planted."</p>
<p>"The sun was in my eye and you were in the way!" She argued back.</p>
<p>"I call bullshit on that." Danny got up and started dusting off all the snow from his jacket. "We were wearing goggles for a reason and admit it, you knew I was winning."</p>
<p>She accepted his outstretched hand as he pulled her back on her feet. "You wish, Fenton."</p>
<p>A little ways from them, Tara was too busy doing her own victory dance. Okay, Bonnie might have gotten a little aggressive towards the end of their little race and may or may not have intentionally tried to push Danny off balance. The end result was both of them crashing into the snow in a less than spectacular fashion and Tara inevitably winning.</p>
<p>The blonde girl in question ran up to them with skis in hand. She held up one hand to her ear. "Who's the queen of the mountain?"</p>
<p>"You are." Bonnie and Danny answered monotonously.</p>
<p>"I'm sorry I couldn't quite hear that. Who's the queen of the mountain?"</p>
<p>"You are." The two answered with as much enthusiasm as the first time they said it.</p>
<p>"You're damn right it is!" Tara proclaimed proudly.</p>
<p>Bonnie couldn't help but challenge. "Best two out of three."</p>
<p>"Come on, Bon-Bon, you seriously want to lose two times in a row?" Danny teased with a smirk.</p>
<p>"Look who's talking." Bonnie shot back.</p>
<p>"Ladies and gentlemen please, there's no need for such uncivilized words here." Tara got in between them. "Because we all know that there is only one true winner here…and it's obviously me."</p>
<p>"Is that right?" Danny said, sending Bonnie a mischievous wink. He then proceeded to make a big show of bowing. "Forgive me my queen for I am but a humble peasant in your presence."</p>
<p>"Her majesty truly is powerful in the ways of skiing." Bonnie followed suit in an exaggerated curtsy.</p>
<p>"I could get used to this." Tara smiled and snapped her fingers haughtily. "Come my servants, thy queen needs refreshments."</p>
<p>"Yes, your majesty."</p>
<p>As quick as a cobra, the two friends lunged at the unsuspecting blonde and lifted her off her feet.</p>
<p>"Hey, what're you doing?!" Tara shrieked in surprise as the two started to carry her off.</p>
<p>"Why, we're obeying her highness' command." Bonnie smiled a little too sweetly.</p>
<p>"Mutiny! This is high treason! Unhand me at once!"</p>
<p>"If it is what my queen wants." Danny said. The two of them stopped at a nearby mound of snow and tossed the girl unceremoniously into it. The girl squealed as she sunk into the snow.</p>
<p>"Is her highness refreshed now?" Bonnie mocked before bursting into laughter along with Danny. However, it was cut short as a snowball smashed into her face. She rubbed her face to see Tara bending over to cup more snow into her hand and hefting it at Danny who was smart enough to duck.</p>
<p>
  <em>Oh it is on…</em>
</p>
<p>She quickly crouched down and gathered a handful of snow. Tara saw what she was doing and hastily followed suit but before the two of them could finish molding their snowballs, they each received one to the face courtesy of Danny. Bonnie wiped her face before hefting her own at the raven-haired teen that hit him square on the forehead.</p>
<p>Before long, handfuls of snow began to fly through the air as the three engaged in an all out snowball fight. They laughed and taunted each other. Bonnie didn't care about the odd looks they received from the other students. She was too busy having fun with her two best friends.</p>
<p>Sadly, their game came to an end as an unearthly roar cut through all other sounds in the vicinity. Everyone froze in their tracks as they tried to comprehend what they had just heard. Off to the side, she saw Danny exhale a rather large amount of mist and she already knew the cause before Jack and Maddie Fenton even rushed out into the open with their equipment.</p>
<p>"Ghost!" Jack exclaimed while hefting his bazooka weapon.</p>
<p>The two girls turned to Danny but to their surprise, he had already vanished.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Perfect, as if it wasn't bad enough that Vlad was staying in the same lodge as he was but now he had to deal with whatever the hell was making all this noise. Danny sped through the forest so fast that the trees had started to blur as his ghost sense guided him towards the source of disturbance. Plasmius must be up to something. Figures, as soon as he shows up, some random ghost just happened to appear in the span of a few hours.</p>
<p>Coincidence? Ha, yeah right.</p>
<p>In any case, he could worry about the fruit loop later. Right now, he had to find this thing before it got too close to the lodge. Danny continued to fly through the trees as his ghost sense told him he was gaining on his target. However, before he could go any further, a blast of ectoplasm came from out of nowhere and blindsided him. It struck him in the back and set him tumbling into the snow.</p>
<p>"Well would you look at that, my prey has decided to come to me instead." A familiar mechanical voice said. Danny looked up just in time to see Skulker aiming his weapon at him. He rolled out of the way just in time as the ecto blast missed. "It must be my lucky day."</p>
<p>"Oh for the love of God, find some other pelt to hang on your wall." Danny said as he retaliated by sending ectoblasts of his own. Skulker tapped a button on his forearm and a shield materialized that merely absorbed his attack. "New upgrades, huh? What, did Vlad give you a promotion or something?"</p>
<p>"There are some perks of working under him." Skulker admitted. "Here's one example."</p>
<p>A small hatch opened on his shoulder and a small rocket launcher popped out. Skulker grinned as he fired his new weapon. Danny didn't waste any time as he took off into the air once more. Unfortunately for him, it seemed as if the small missile was locked onto him and was hot on his trail. The half-ghost cursed as he tried in vain to lose the small projectile. However, Danny was so focused on losing the first missile that he failed to notice the second one until it was too late.</p>
<p>The half-ghost screamed in pained as he was engulfed in an explosion when the two missiles hit their target. He fell back down hard onto the snowy forest floor and groaned as he tried to push himself up to his feet. Okay, that one really hurt.</p>
<p>A hard metal boot slammed into his back before he had any time to recover from the last attack.</p>
<p>"I must say that I'm quite disappointed." Skulker said, pointing an ectoplasm cannon at the back of Danny's head. "This was too easy. It's almost as if you've grown weaker since the last time we've met. You've been slacking off whelp."</p>
<p>"I beg to differ." Danny smirked.</p>
<p>Before Skulker could reply, one of Danny's duplicates phased through the ground from behind the hunter and delivered a swift ectoplasm charged fist into his face. The strength behind the blow made the mechanical ghost stagger back but another clone swooped in from the sky and gave the hunter a powerful uppercut that lifted him off the ground. Not relenting on their assault, the three Phantoms sent a combined ghost ray straight at Skulker, sending the robotic hunter crashing into a few trees.</p>
<p>The two duplicates vanished and Danny felt his split energy returning to him. "Ah that's better. I'm sorry, care to repeat that earlier statement, Tin man?"</p>
<p>Skulker merely grinned menacingly as he pushed away the log that had fallen on him. "Now that's what I'm talking about! This wouldn't be any fun if it were easy. It makes you a much more worthy prey and I only hunt the best."</p>
<p>"I'm flattered and all, but can we wrap this up? I have a snowboard back at the lodge and a down slope with my name on it."</p>
<p>"Bring it whelp!" Skulker equipped a machete onto his robotic arm charged.</p>
<p>Danny did the same as he coated his fists with ghostly energy. He feinted left just as his opponent attempted to gut him with the serrated machete. He also managed to duck the follow up swing and countered by throwing a vicious right hook that bounced off of Skulker's metal face. He'd managed to dent the hunter's suit a bit but Skulker was relentless. Recovering quickly, the ghost retaliated by head-butting Danny that made him take a few steps back as spots danced in his field of vision. The moment's distraction however left the young halfa open just enough for Skulker to cut him in the arm with the machete.</p>
<p>Danny grunted as he decided to put some distance between them. He clutched his fresh wound and judging from the amount of blood he was feeling, the cut was a bit deep. He hoped his advanced healing would be enough to cover it up until he was able to get some fresh bandages on it but he'd worry about the later.</p>
<p>"Looks like I drew first blood." Skulker grinned as he studied his stained weapon.</p>
<p>"Yeah well your forehead looks a little dented." Danny shot back as he fell into another ready stance. "I'm gonna be honest, I dig the new look. You should keep it."</p>
<p>"Mouthy brat, aren't you?" Skulker said. "Are we going to keep trading insults all day or are we going to kill each other?"</p>
<p>"Hey, it's all the same to me big guy." Danny said, hovering off the ground and preparing to fire off an ecto blast. "I've got a whole list of insults just for you pal."</p>
<p>He had to be smart about this. Realistically speaking, he could probably take on Skulker if he tried hard enough. In the past, he had been ill-prepared for his first encounter with the hunter and it was through sheer luck that he managed to defeat him and trap him in the thermos. He was stronger now sure and they were most likely on even footing than before but Danny couldn't afford to expend all his efforts in this fight. As much of a pain in the ass Skulker was, there was no denying that Vlad was the bigger threat between the two. He needed to end this quickly if he wanted to address the real problem.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, his thoughts came to a screeching halt as a snow mobile burst from the trees and landed right in the middle of the two combatants. Danny groaned as soon as he saw who the driver of the said vehicle was and he suppressed a groan.</p>
<p>Oh great, just what he needed, more complications.</p>
<p>Kim Possible had just entered the fray.</p>
<hr/>
<p>"Bonnie, I don't think we should be doing this." Tara glanced around the room nervously. The two teens were currently rummaging through Vlad Master's suitcases and bags.</p>
<p>"We can't just sit around and do nothing either." Bonnie argued, checking each pocket and stopped at one in particular. "Look, Danny's out there fighting some snow monster or whatever and we know that Vlad Masters isn't what he claims to be. He might be up to something and is trying to distract Danny so that he won't be able to figure it out. It's up to us to see if we can find out what he's after and tell Danny once he comes back."</p>
<p>"I know, but what if he catches us?" Tara said. "He also has ghost powers remember? What if he's invisibly watching us right now and we don't even know it?"</p>
<p>It was a frightening thought to be honest. Her friend certainly made a valid point. Vlad Masters could be breathing down their necks at this very second and was preparing for the right moment to strike. Still, Bonnie forged ahead and decided to trust that the Specter Deflectors Danny had given would do the trick. It wouldn't stop the man from invisibly spying on them but it would offer them limited protection from physical harm.</p>
<p>"Look, just keep looking." Bonnie insisted. "There must be something in here that might tell us why he came here in the first place."</p>
<p>"I'm sorry to disappoint you my dear."</p>
<p>Tara shrieked as the two girls whirled around to find Vlad himself standing just outside the door. He casually walked inside his room and took a moment to admire the interior. "Now, what would two lovely young ladies be snooping around for in a business man's room?"</p>
<p>Bonnie placed herself in front of Tara. If worst came to pass, she could maybe distract him while she ran for help. Problem was, he was blocking the only exit. Maybe they could scream for help?</p>
<p>"We know who you really are Mr. Masters and we're not afraid of you." Bonnie said, hoping that she sounded braver than she felt.</p>
<p>"And who would that be, Ms. Rockwaller?" Vlad tilted his head in confusion. "I'm not sure I follow."</p>
<p>"You're a half-ghost like Danny." Tara said albeit with a hint of trepidation. "He told us everything."</p>
<p>The billionaire gave off a little hum in response and merely continued his inspection of the room. Bonnie had an inkling that he already knew that they were aware of his identity and was just toying with them. Clearly, he had deemed them to be of no threat to him and it pained her to admit it but he was probably right.</p>
<p>"And where is our friend Daniel, hmm?" Vlad inquired. "I'm sure he wouldn't leave his two dear friends alone in such…unpleasant company."</p>
<p>"He's stopping whatever it is you're planning to do." Bonnie declared confidently. "And when he's done, he'll be right back to kick your ass."</p>
<p>Vlad chuckled in amusement. "I applaud your loyalty Ms. Rockwaller. Sadly, our little badger will have his hands full to deal with little old me and besides, it'd be such a shame to ruin the décor. I quite like this place and I'd rather not leave it in shambles over a pointless scuffle."</p>
<p>He turned to leave. "You're free to continue your search as long as wish my dears but please do remember to lock the door on your way out. Enjoy the rest of your weekend."</p>
<p>With that being said, the billionaire exited the room and it was only when his footsteps receded into silence did they release the breath they didn't know they were holding.</p>
<p>"Oh God, that was intense." Bonnie said as she leaned against the closest wall. She felt her heart hammering in her chest and she had to take deep breathes to steady herself. Tara was in a similar state as she had slumped to the floor.</p>
<p>It was crazy to think how the man's very presence intimidated her. From the moment he walked in, it felt as if he was in control of the whole situation. She'd seen the way his eyes momentarily glanced at their belts and she knew that if they hadn't been wearing them, things might have been different.</p>
<p>One thing was for sure, they wouldn't find anything in here. He was too confident and too cunning to leave anything incriminating just lying around.</p>
<p>Back to square one. She just hoped Danny was having better luck than they were.</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <em>Fuck my life</em>
</p>
<p>This was a thought that was constantly running through his head as the fight had devolved into a messy three way between him, Skulker, and Kim. The redhead had somehow managed to snag a blaster from his parents and boy did she have good aim. If it weren't for the fact that she had to divide her attention between two opponents, he might have been riddled with holes right about now.</p>
<p>"You're mine whelp!"</p>
<p>Oh yeah, there was also the small fact that Skulker had zero interest in the redhead and was focusing all of his attacks on Danny. The only times he attacked Kim was when she had gotten in his way but other than that, he was still the main target. So it was more of a two on one in Danny's position.</p>
<p>And now, back to your regular scheduled program…</p>
<p>"Oh shit!" Danny yelped as he managed to dodge Skulker's cannons. He formed a shield to deflect the follow up blasts but he got hit from behind courtesy of Kim. "Damn it! I'm on your side here!"</p>
<p>"I'll be the judge of that." Kim took aim once more. "As far as I'm concerned, two ghosts are causing trouble and I'm not at all convinced that you're the good guy here. From what I've been told, ghosts aren't particularly trustworthy."</p>
<p>Danny growled in frustration as he dropped his shield and flew away just as Kim's ecto-blast sailed past him and hit Skulker instead. He didn't have time to relax as the redhead continued her onslaught. He sent low powered blasts in retaliation but she was nimble and was able to dodge and flip over them with ease. He hated to admit it but the girl had skills.</p>
<p>He just wished she wasn't using it on him.</p>
<p>A whistling sound came from behind and that had been his only indication to dodge as several arrows grazed him. Danny once again threw up his shields as more arrows slammed into it. Kim tried to shoot at Skulker a few times but the hunter was able to avoid them. Of course instead of shooting at his attacker, the ghost opted to continue shooting Danny.</p>
<p>Okay, he needed a new plan because he couldn't keep going like this. Eventually one of them was going to land a lucky blow that would injure him to the point he would be defenseless against either of the two. His focus was split and he needed to take one of them down quickly so he had one less problem to deal with. If only Kim wasn't here….</p>
<p>Wait a minute…</p>
<p>It was then that Danny was struck by a crazy idea.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Kim was thankful for the distraction. Now that she thought about it, the teen couldn't help but feel guilty over the fact that she had been relieved when trouble had come knocking. Her parents have been driving her nuts since the trip began and she needed her space, which was the main reason she jumped at the opportunity to spring into action. She had negotiated with Danny's mom into lending her an anti-ghost weapon and the woman had reluctantly agreed, giving her a small blaster the size of a handgun. She quickly commandeered one of the parked snow mobiles while the Fentons took the remaining two. The redhead had left the two ghost hunters in the dust however, as she kicked the engines into high gear and searched for the sounds of disturbance.</p>
<p>And now, here she was, not a few minutes later, blasting at both Phantom and some mechanical looking ghost with a flaming Mohawk. According to Ron, there was also a rampaging snow beast on the loose but she would address that problem once she finished these two ghosts. She didn't know why the two specters were fighting in the first place but she did know that they were dangerously close to the lodge.</p>
<p>Kim leapt from her perch as Phantom sent a blast of green ghostly energy at her that destroyed the branch she had been crouched on. She retaliated by sending blasts of her own but the mechanical ghost tackled Phantom out of the way. For some reason, the other ghost was ignoring her entirely and chose to focus all of his attacks on Phantom.</p>
<p>Of course, he'd been trying to convince Kim several times during their fight that he meant no harm but the redhead knew better than to trust a ghost. Sure he helped out back at their school when the Lunch Lady ghost appeared but what reason could he possibly have to be tussling with another ghost? Weren't they the same species? And now here he was again, trading blows with his own kind.</p>
<p>Mr. Masters said that ghosts were driven by their obsessions and they would do anything and everything for it. Was Phantom's obsession to battle other ghosts? Why?</p>
<p>Unfortunately, before she could ponder on it any further a powerful blast grazed her side and she was forced to tumble into the snow. Luckily it had just singed the fabric of her jacket and only inflicted a minor burn. She was surprised to find that it was the mechanical ghost who had shot at her. Up to this point, he had only been interested in Phantom. What caused this to change?</p>
<p>"I'm really sorry about this." A voice behind her said just before she felt the most bizarre sensation in her life. It was like she had been hit with a chilly breeze that sunk to her very bones and her mind had turned foggy. Where was she again? She had been fighting someone, hadn't she?</p>
<p>Kim was still dimly aware of what was happening around her. She was still being chased by the mechanical ghost and she had somehow made it back to her snowmobile and was riding it full-speed through the forest. She could feel her body moving of its own accord but it was like her mind had taken the back seat and someone else had their hands on the wheel. She knew she should have been scared that a missile nearly hit her or that she narrowly managed to avoid crashing into a tree. But it looked like the person who was controlling her body was doing an okay job so far. As long as she didn't get hurt then that was fine right?</p>
<p>
  <em>Snap out of it….</em>
</p>
<p>There was a nagging voice at the back of her head but it was too faint to hear. Meanwhile, her body was using the blaster to shoot the mechanical ghost who was slowly gaining on her. Wow, she was sleepy. Maybe a quick nap would….</p>
<p>
  <em>Get a hold of yourself! Wake up!</em>
</p>
<p>Grr, that voice was starting to get persistent. What was the voice so worried about? Look, she could see that her body had already taken out one of the mechanical ghost's jetpack engines and he had careened out of control and before long, out of sight.</p>
<p>Now if that voice could shut up for about a few seconds…</p>
<p>
  <em>WAKE UP!</em>
</p>
<p>Clarity slammed into her and the fog in her mind vanished, granting her control of her movements again. It was just in time too because she was headed straight for the rocky side of the mountain. She slammed the breaks and the snow mobile slid to stop. She had to take in large gasps of air because despite the chill, beads of sweat were running down her forehead. What the hell just happened?</p>
<p>Her head swiveled from side to side with her fire arm following her line of sight as she tried to spot any of the ghosts she'd just been fighting. However, after a few minutes of searching, she managed to confirm that they were gone and she was alone. Kim slumped in her seat as she felt her adrenaline levels drop and she was hit with a sudden wave of exhaustion.</p>
<p>Her communicator started beeping and she answered it to find Wade frantically typing into his computer. "Finally, I've been trying to contact you for the past thirty minutes but you weren't picking up! I assumed the worst but I'm glad to see you're okay."</p>
<p>Thirty minutes? Is that how long she'd blacked out? Her mind was still hazy on the details.</p>
<p>"Wade, can you retrace my location using the communicator's GPS?" Kim asked.</p>
<p>"Okay, give me a second." The ten year old tapped on a few keys and brought up a satellite image of the mountain side as well as dotted lines that showed her movements in one minute intervals. Based on what she saw, her location brought her approximately less than a mile from the lodge.</p>
<p>"You were acting kind of strange too." Wade commented, taking a sip from his soda. "I used the communicator's camera to monitor you to see what's up and you seemed less coordinated than usual."</p>
<p>Kim pinched the bridge of her nose and tried to make sense of everything she'd learned so far. Somehow, she'd lost all memory of the past few minutes and drove herself to back to the lodge without even meaning to. The last thing she remembered was Phantom disappearing from the fight and…</p>
<p>
  <em>I'm really sorry about this.</em>
</p>
<p>That had been Phantom's voice she was sure of it. What on earth did he mean by that? Did he do something to her and just what exactly did he do?</p>
<p>Before she could delve deeper into her thoughts, the sound of engines drew closer and soon heralded the arrival of Jack and Maddie Fenton.</p>
<p>"I've got you now Ghost Scum!" Jack declared as he jumped off his snow mobile and aimed his bazooka at Kim.</p>
<p>"Stand down Jack, it's just Kim." Maddie hastily lowered her husband's weapon before he did anything hasty. She held up a scanner of some sort and waved it around the area. "Damn, the ghost signature disappeared and I thought for sure it was just here. The Fenton Finder was positive about it too but now it's faint."</p>
<p>The woman shook her head in disappointment before hooking the gadget to her belt. She approached Kim and proceeded to check over her. "Are you okay sweetie? Did you happen to run into any trouble?"</p>
<p>While she appreciated Mrs. Fenton's concern, it was unnecessary due to her lack of injuries. "I'm fine. I found two ghosts that were fighting further up the mountain. One of them was Phantom, the ghost that appeared at school the other day, and another was made of metal. I fought them for a bit but then I…wound up here."</p>
<p>Maddie nodded while Jack continued to fiddle with his own Fenton Finder, hopefully trying to get at least a faint ecto-signature they could follow.</p>
<p>"Maybe we should all head back for now, it'll start getting dark soon and ghost or no ghost it's dangerous to be roaming around at night." The ghost hunter suggested. "Besides your parents are starting to get worried. You should have at least told them where you were headed, young lady. I'd be worried too if I were them."</p>
<p>"Sure thing Mrs. Fenton." Kim did feel a little guilty at the mention of her parents. Here she was being thankful for the opportunity to be away from them and yet they were still obviously concerned despite her doing missions every other week.</p>
<p>"Oh which reminds me Jack, we should probably find Danny." Maddie told her husband. "This weekend was supposed to be about bonding with him but we've hardly seen him the whole day!"</p>
<p>"He was with Bonnie and Tara the last I saw him but you're right Mads." The large man said, although he did sound a bit disappointed. However, he perked up immediately as an idea struck him. "I know! Why don't we bring Danny along tomorrow when we look for the ghosts?"</p>
<p>Somehow, Kim doubted Danny would find the experience as enjoyable as Mr. Fenton made it out to be. From the limited amount of time they'd spent together, Danny never expressed any interest in his parents' ghost hunting career. Sure he knew a lot about ghosts, no doubt being on the receiving end of many lectures from his parents but he was mostly indifferent about the topic whenever it was brought up.</p>
<p>While the two ghost hunters discussed their family outing, Kim spared one more glance up the mountain. She still couldn't figure out how she had lost her memory but she was determined to find out. She was positive Phantom had done something to her. The next time she saw the ghost, they would be having words.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Danny panted in exhaustion as he slumped to his hands and knees onto the snow. He had reverted back into human form just as he had been forcefully expelled from Kim's body. Thankfully he had managed to fly further away before she could see him. His plan to overshadow Kim and use her body to get her back to safety had backfired. He'd never felt such resistance before when temporarily taking over a person. Kim had subconsciously wrestled him for control the entire time and while he had the upper-hand, it had not been easy. He could only chalk it up to the fact that she was aware of the dangers while they were fighting whereas whenever he did it to other people they were caught unprepared for the sudden intrusion.</p>
<p>He shook his head in amazement and couldn't help but grin a little. Kim was one tough cookie. He saw her in action for the first time up close and Danny was impressed. He shuddered to think what she could do with a better arsenal of ghost hunting gear.</p>
<p>Glancing up at the sky, Danny could see that the sun was beginning to dip low into the horizon and he should get back before his anyone noticed his absence. Hopefully Bonnie and Tara could stall long enough for him slip into his room. He transformed back into his ghost half and was about to fly out when something caught his eye. Deciding to take a closer look, he flew towards a particular spot that had been stained red.</p>
<p>It was blood. He inspected the area and saw large tracks leading deeper into the forest. The tracks were accompanied by more blood splatters as well. Come to think of it, the reason he had been out here in the first place was because he thought another ghost besides Skulker had been roaming around. He'd heard a commotion and a loud primal roar on his search earlier but he'd never found anything that caused it.</p>
<p>Coming to a decision, he decided to follow the blood trail. As he flew between the trees, he began to see other signs as well. Large furrows in the snow and broken branches began to accompany the blood. Now, Danny was no expert at tracking but even he could tell that something must have come through here…something big. However, he knew for certain that whatever it was, it was no ghost because they don't bleed like regular living organisms. A bear perhaps?</p>
<p>Danny's search came to a halt as he found the creature in question. It was a strange combination between a rabbit and a rhinoceros that lay on its side as it let out a low grumble in pain. Arrows had lodged itself in its neck and blood slowly trickled out. Perhaps the only reason it hadn't bled to death was the fact the arrows themselves were stemming the blood flow.</p>
<p>He cautiously approached the hybrid and made sure to appear nonthreatening as possible. The rhino/rabbit noticed his approach and growled weakly as a warning. Danny held up his hands and took another slow step forward. He waited for a reaction but when he got nothing he took another. This trend continued for another few minutes until he was within arm's reach.</p>
<p>"It's okay, big guy, I'm not here to hurt you." Danny spoke in what he hoped was a soothing tone. The hybrid eyed him warily for a moment.</p>
<p>At this point, the creature began to let out moans of pain as it tried its best to get air into its lungs Danny saw that a few of the arrows had sunken deep. He knew that if he tried to pull any of them out, it would only make things worse. Even if it didn't, he didn't have the tools or knowledge to treat wounds of that caliber. The two beings made eye contact once again and had somehow come to the same conclusion.</p>
<p>It was going to die…</p>
<p>Frustration built up inside of Danny as he could do nothing and stare at the hybrid struggling to cling onto life. But he knew it was a futile effort. Eventually it would happen, and there was nothing he could do to stop it.</p>
<p>The rhino-rabbit's eyes locked onto him again as if trying to convey a message. The animal looked so frightened and in great pain. The creature just wanted it to end.</p>
<p>"I-I can't, maybe there's another way…" Danny tried to reason but even he knew what must be done. Gritting his teeth, he steeled himself for what he was about to do. He looked to the creature as if asking it for permission. It only moaned in response. Danny powered up ectoplasm in his fist. A quick blast through the chest should do it. He didn't know if it was the right way to do it or if he should aim for the head instead but he couldn't afford to lose his nerve.</p>
<p>With a flash of green and a final whimper, it was all silent.</p>
<p>"You did the right thing, Phantom."</p>
<p>Danny didn't even know when Skulker had appeared behind him but he couldn't find it in himself to care at the moment. "Did you do this? I'd recognize your crossbow bolts anywhere Skulker."</p>
<p>"Yes, before I ran into you, I had stumbled upon this creature." The hunter explained in a somewhat civil manner. "I thought it'd be interesting to add to my collection."</p>
<p>Danny glared at the mechanical ghost. "So why didn't you finish it off yourself? You call yourself a hunter?! You left it here to suffer!"</p>
<p>"Don't lecture me boy!" Skulker fired back. "I had the thing in my sights and it would have been a clean kill if it weren't for those two humans who startled it in the first place!"</p>
<p>Danny thought back to Mr. Barkin and Ron who had set off to find their supposed snow beast. Well, apparently they succeeded in their little task.</p>
<p>"My bolts missed and the creature bounded off before I could chase after it." Skulker said. "It was then that you crossed my sights and well, you know what happened after that."</p>
<p>"So what happens now?" Danny ignited his fists with ghost energy. "If you're looking for round two then come get some. I have a lot of pent up aggression I want to release."</p>
<p>Skulker actually seemed to consider it but thought better of it. "No, I've failed as a hunter today and for that, I will let you go for now ghost child. But come tomorrow, my hunt will continue."</p>
<p>He vanished before Danny could say anything else. With one last look towards the life he just took, he left for the lodge as well. He couldn't recall the journey back but the next thing he knew was that he had phased into his room, startling Bonnie and Tara in the process, and changed back into his human self.</p>
<p>"Don't do that! You nearly gave us a—," Bonnie noticed his somber expression. "Danny, are you okay?"</p>
<p>When he didn't answer, the two girls merely joined him on the bed as he sat with his face in his hands. The three of them sat in silence while the two tried to comfort him the best they could. To think that the day had started off so well and he had been so carefree.</p>
<hr/>
<p>The weekend at the ski lodge continued on as normal. Apparently, someone had called the authorities and reported the disturbance heard. The rangers sent some people to scout the area to make sure it was safe but found nothing of importance to show for it. Strange, Danny thought they'd at least find the body of a hulking rhino-rabbit hybrid lying around.</p>
<p>He'd tried to enjoy the remainder of his weekend as well but Bonnie and Tara could tell that his heart wasn't into it anymore. He'd told them what happened of course and they constantly assured him that there was nothing else he could've done differently. He felt bad for ruining what was supposed to be a fun little outing but they waved off his apologies and tried to salvage it as much as they could.</p>
<p>Danny was also joined by Kim on a few occasions and he was often assaulted by guilt for what he did to her. Overshadowing people was one of his least favorite powers but it was no doubt useful during some situations. He didn't enjoy manipulating other people to do his will unless absolutely necessary.</p>
<p>His parents had been as boisterous as ever and he humored them by going on their supposed ghost hunt through the forest. While the Fentons didn't encounter any ghosts, Danny did enjoy seeing his parents happily explaining various gadgets and weapons. He had come to the realization that he'd also been neglecting them these past couple of months and perhaps them coming to this ski trip was their way of reconnecting with him. Danny truly appreciated their efforts and he knew that if Jazz was here, she would have scolded him for being distant.</p>
<p>It was true that the weekend wasn't as enjoyable as he'd hoped but it wasn't a complete loss either. Speaking of which…</p>
<p>"I still don't understand what you hoped to achieve, Plasmius." Danny said, crossing his arms as he scrutinized the man in sitting across from him. "But just so you know, I'll figure it out eventually and I'll stop you."</p>
<p>"Bold claims little badger." Vlad smirked, sipping on some coffee. It was a bit early in the morning with only a few other guests at the lodge lounging around. The two halfas sat at a somewhat secluded area so that their conversation wouldn't be easily overheard. "But as your two little friends have no doubt reported to you, I have done nothing to warrant any suspicion."</p>
<p>"You've done nothing incriminating with witnesses around is more like it." Danny snorted. "I didn't run into Skulker here by accident and I know you guys have some sort of arrangement going on."</p>
<p>"He has his uses," Vlad admitted, not even bothering to hide that fact. "I'm a busy man after all, so I can't afford to run my own errands."</p>
<p>"And what errand is that? Capturing some sort of hybrid snow beast hiding in the mountains?"</p>
<p>Vlad rolled his eyes. "Oh please, Daniel, you're better than that. What could I possibly want to do with some beast?"</p>
<p>"The hell if I know." Danny shrugged. "I can never really tell what's going on through that crazy brain of yours. Maybe you were lonely and finally decided to take my advice to get a pet. But instead of a cat, you wanted a big fluffy rabbit-rhino thing."</p>
<p>"Amusing," Vlad said. He drained the last of his coffee and stood to leave, adjusting his suit. "Well, it's been fun little badger but I have places to be. Perhaps the next time we meet, I'll be able to personally assess how much you've grown."</p>
<p>"Whatever you say, fruit loop." Danny said as the billionaire walked off, leaving Danny to his thoughts.</p>
<p>There had to be some reason Plasmius had visited this exact lodge this weekend. He was a billionaire for crying out loud, he could've chosen a better place to relax than this. This lodge didn't exactly cater to the upper class but to the masses. Skulker being here was also an indication but the only thing that stood out was the snow beast he had killed. The rangers never did find the body, so maybe Vlad wanted to study it? Replicate it somehow? It was definitely a possibility but knowing the older ghost, there had to be an endgame to it.</p>
<p>
  <em>It's chess Daniel, you have to think four moves ahead.</em>
</p>
<p>Great, he wasn't even here anymore and he could still hear him inside his head.</p>
<p>"Good morning sweetie!" His mom's voice broke him out of his reverie. "You're up early! Is something wrong?"</p>
<p>"Oh no, everything's fine." Danny forced a smile on his face. "Just felt like getting up is all."</p>
<p>"Where are the girls?" Maddie asked as she occupied Vlad's vacated seat.</p>
<p>"Ah you know how Bonnie likes to have a lie in on the weekends." Danny chuckled.</p>
<p>"Well, that's true." His mother agreed. "Don't even get me started on your father."</p>
<p>"Ugh, I think I can hear him snoring from my room."</p>
<p>Mother and son shared a small laugh at that. They both knew how much of a deep sleeper Jack was and nothing short of a ghost invasion or fresh fudge would get him out of bed.</p>
<p>"Listen, Danny." His mom's serious tone caught him off-guard. "I know that things have been rough on you this past year and please don't bother making excuses young man because I've spoken to Bonnie and Tara and they've told me a few things."</p>
<p>Danny tried not to look too guilty about that. He still felt bad just remembering how he had to push everyone away. His mother must have sensed his feelings as she put her hand over his in a comforting gesture.</p>
<p>"Now, I don't know what it is you're going through." His mother looked him straight in the eyes with as much care and devotion she could convey. "And I won't push unless you decide to tell me but if you ever need anything, don't ever hesitate to ask me or your father. We'll always be here for you Danny, whenever you need us."</p>
<p>Right then and there, Danny was tempted to blurt out his secret, consequences be damned. He could see just how much his actions had affected her. All the lies and excuses just seemed to pile up one after another and he was an idiot if he thought his parents wouldn't notice some of them. He was positive that they didn't know about his ghost half because he knew it would be the first thing they brought up if that were the case. But no, despite all the deception and the secrecy, along with the fact that he'd shut them just as much as Bonnie and Tara, they still loved him unconditionally.</p>
<p>Danny tried to swallow the lump in his throat and his next smile wasn't forced at all.</p>
<p>"Thanks Mom."</p>
<hr/>
<p>Vlad stepped out onto the tarmac as he approached the private jet that awaited him. He climbed up the steps to the plane and took a seat on one of the plush leather seats. He opened a bottle of brandy on the table and poured two glasses. He took one for himself and offered the other to the person sat in front of him.</p>
<p>"I'm terribly sorry for the accommodations." Vlad said, sampling the amber liquid. "I value my privacy, you see and I'm afraid that an individual such as yourself might draw attention."</p>
<p>A muffled reply was his only reply.</p>
<p>"Ah, of course, where are my manners? Skulker, if you would be so kind."</p>
<p>The mechanical ghost ripped off the tape that prevented their captive from speaking.</p>
<p>"Well, aren't you both such naughty boys!" A rather stout woman with black hair and a small gap in her teeth said. "Unhand me this instant! What did you do to my babies?!"</p>
<p>"I'm afraid letting you go isn't an option Dr. Amy Hall." Vlad said.</p>
<p>"How do you know me?" Dr. Amy asked. She glanced nervously between the billionaire and the ghost.</p>
<p>"Why do you discredit yourself Dr. Hall?" Vlad spoke in a smooth voice. "You are quite renowned in the field of Biogenetics and I was so impressed by your work that I just had to meet you in person. Tell me, Dr. Hall, have you ever considered expanding your research beyond the boundaries of what you thought was possible? Because trust me my dear, I believe you will find the results to be truly remarkable."</p>
<hr/>
<p>"Come on, Sam!" The boy tugged mercilessly on his friend's arm. "It's only for the week! The school said it would take them the same amount of time to fix the gas leak and I know for a fact that you've got nothing planned! Please, please, please!"</p>
<p>The raven haired goth growled. "Alright fine, just let go of me!"</p>
<p>"Yes! Thank you!" Tucker Foley whooped. "Don't worry going to Middleton to visit my aunt isn't going to be a complete waste. There's probably tons of stuff to do there and who knows? Maybe we'll run into Kim Possible! My cousin says he knows her!"</p>
<p>Sam sighed but couldn't help but smile. "Well, it sure beats having to hang around here for the rest of the week. Might be nice to get out of town for a while and see new places."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Old Yet New Faces</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Okay, Danny, last questions." Kim said, as she held up some of her flash cards. "When did the Boston Tea Party happen?"</p>
<p>Danny paused to think about his answer for a bit. "December 16, 1773."</p>
<p>"Good and where did it happen?"</p>
<p>"Umm, Griffin's Wharf,"</p>
<p>"Excellent. I think we'll stop it at that for today." Kim said, much to the other teen's relief.</p>
<p>"Finally!" Danny stretched his arms and rolled his neck to work out some kinks. "No offence Kim, but you're a bit of a slave driver."</p>
<p>"Oh really, well excuse me Mr. Sleepyhead." Kim teased. "I swear your head would've dropped on the table if I wasn't here."</p>
<p>Danny chuckled good-naturedly. "My forehead thanks you."</p>
<p>The two teens began to pack-up their history books as they decided to call it a day. Kim was pleased with the progress they've made since the start of their weekly tutoring sessions. Danny often had problems remembering exact names and dates of important events but thanks to her, he had an easier time recalling specific information. To top it off, he had earned an A during yesterday's pop quiz and he had proudly showed her his paper as proof of their efforts.</p>
<p>"So you headed to Bueno Nacho with Ron today?" Danny asked as he slung his bag over his shoulder.</p>
<p>Kim's mood slightly soured at the mention of her best friend. "No, I don't think so."</p>
<p>"Oh, is the Le Goop still melting his brain?"</p>
<p>"Unfortunately, yes."</p>
<p>A few days ago, Kim had the bright idea to force Ron into getting a haircut. She just thought that the blond could do with a little variety aside from his usual shaggy style and she even called in a favor from Francois, a renowned hair stylist all the way from France, just for him. Did he thank her for it? No, and to top it off, he let his new look completely go to his head just because a few senior girls noticed. Now he was off, trying on outfits so that his clothes would "synergize" with his new hair.</p>
<p>"Well, if you want, you could come with us to the mall." Danny offered.</p>
<p>"That's sweet of you but I don't think Bonnie will appreciate my company." Kim told him.</p>
<p>"Oh come on, I'm sure you two can tolerate each other for a few hours." Danny insisted. "I know you two have this rivalry thing going on but she's really not that bad once you get past the barbs and the snarky attitude."</p>
<p>Kim raised an eyebrow.</p>
<p>"Okay, way deep down, she's a cool person. Plus, Tara's going to be there too so it's not like you and Bonnie will be forced to talk if you don't want to."</p>
<p>"I don't know Danny…"</p>
<p>"Please," Danny stuck out his lower lip and made it tremble a bit for effect.</p>
<p>Kim giggled and punched his arm playfully. "Hey, the puppy dog pout is my thing!"</p>
<p>He continued to give her that innocent looking pout and Kim had to admit that Danny could pull off a good one.</p>
<p>"Ugh, okay, you win. I'll go to the mall with you guys."</p>
<p>Danny pumped his fist in success and he looked like he wanted to say something but then he started to cough loudly out of the blue. He averted his face from her and covered his mouth as was the polite thing to do but Kim could've sworn she saw a few wisps of….</p>
<p>"Sorry about that but I just remembered something Mr. Barkin wanted me to hand in and you know how he is with deadlines. You can go ahead and I'll catch up with you guys in a bit!"</p>
<p>And with that, he was off running down the hall. Kim also noted the fact that Mr. Barkin's office was in the opposite direction. This had not been the only incident where Danny had to "take off" all of a sudden and frankly, she was starting to worry about him. His excuses weren't as clever as he thought they were and Kim saw right through them most of the time. She'd been meaning to confront him about it for some time now but for some reason or another, she was often distracted by missions or her own schoolwork, not to mention extra cheerleading practice.</p>
<p>What on earth could he possibly be hiding? Danny was a nice guy, there was no way he would be doing anything illegal or dangerous, right? But there was always the sliver of doubt that existed at the back of her mind, telling her to investigate. Kim shook those treacherous thoughts away. She couldn't violate his privacy like that and perhaps she was just overreacting to things. Maybe Danny was seeing someone and simply chose to keep his relationship private. Kim knew a few couples who liked to stay out of gossip circles by staying below the radar. It was definitely a possibility.</p>
<p>However, the thought did send a pang of disappointment through her as she imagined the raven-haired teen holding hands with some faceless girl…</p>
<hr/>
<p>"Lighten up, Bonnie." Tara told her disgruntled friend. "There's nothing wrong with inviting a couple of more people with us whenever we go out."</p>
<p>"Yeah, but did it have to be Kim of all people?" Bonnie complained, rather loudly. "I know the two have been getting kind of close these past few weeks but can't he hang out with her during her own time? We just saw her at practice today."</p>
<p>"Don't be such a sourpuss." Tara nudged her friend. "It'll be fun to hang out with more people. Plus I think it's a good sign that Danny's becoming sociable again. We used to hang out with the entire soccer team back in freshman year."</p>
<p>"Fine, but don't expect this to be a regular thing." Bonnie huffed and crossed her arms.</p>
<p>"Oh, there she is." Tara began to wave the redhead over. "Over here, Kim!"</p>
<p>"Hi Tara." Kim greeted the blonde girl warmly which was immediately replaced by a neutral tone. "Bon-Bon,"</p>
<p>"Kimmy-cub," Bonnie returned.</p>
<p>Strategically placing herself in between the two girls, Tara decided to ease things along before the two started trading veiled insults. "So, we were actually thinking of hitting up a few shops before grabbing a bite. I need a new top to match with the new earrings daddy gave me."</p>
<p>"Sounds good." Kim agreed. "Where's Danny? I thought he was going to meet us here?"</p>
<p>"Oh don't worry, he texted us saying he's running a bit late." Tara assured. "I'm sure he'll turn up eventually."</p>
<p>Bonnie and Tara shared a significant look that slipped the redhead's notice. They both knew the real reason Danny couldn't be here on time and they could only hope that whatever ghost he was fighting didn't rough him up too much. The two could only cover up so much and they knew Kim was far from stupid. She was bound to notice something if Danny got too careless.</p>
<p>However, it looked like their worry was unwarranted as they met up with Danny just outside of Club Banana.</p>
<p>"Sorry, I'm late, forgot to grab something from my locker." Danny scratched the back if his head sheepishly.</p>
<p>"No problem, we haven't even started yet." Bonnie grinned savagely at the new arrival. "And you know how we like to take our time when it comes to clothes."</p>
<p>"Hooray…" Danny said with mock enthusiasm.</p>
<p>
  <em>That's what you get for inviting Kim along without telling us first, Buster!</em>
</p>
<p>The girls browsed through the racks of items and tried on anything that caught their eye. They traded opinions and offered the other what they thought to be much more flattering options whenever they could. Even Bonnie had to admit that Kim's sense of fashion wasn't bad and was nearly similar to her tastes.</p>
<p>Danny just sat on one of the available chairs as the girls commandeered the changing rooms and was duly promoted as what they called "a guy's opinion". While the girl's knew this role wasn't anything new for the raven haired teen, apparently it was a first for Kim. The redhead told Tara that Ron never offered any meaningful criticism towards her wardrobe choices and merely accepted everything.</p>
<p>"Don't be shy, get out there and show him." Tara encouraged. "He's been doing this for us since forever and he knows a thing or two about what to look for."</p>
<p>With a little more prodding, Kim stepped out of the changing room and stood in front of Danny, giving him a full view of the new top she'd found. "What do you think?"</p>
<p>The teen gave her a quick once over and Tara could tell she was just a tad nervous. He nodded in approval. "It looks good Kim, but maybe a tad bit too revealing. I know guys like that kind of stuff but maybe cover up the mid riff or the shoulders? I like seeing as much skin as the next guy but limiting the amount seen could be good too. It draws more attention to your figure instead."</p>
<p>Tara couldn't help but smother her giggle at Kim's astounded expression. Obviously, she didn't expect Danny to have that kind of opinion or depth of knowledge regarding clothes. Perhaps she and Bonnie had gone overboard in bringing him along to almost every shopping trip they had since entering high school. Oh, he had been like any other clueless boy before and merely approved of every choice of clothing they presented him with the statement of "You guys look good in anything, can we do something else now?" They encouraged him to offer better opinions because whenever they went clothes shopping for Danny, they didn't hold back and told him exactly what they thought of his wardrobe choices. Tara and Bonnie didn't do it to be mean because they knew how to make him look better and it was the same courtesy they wanted from Danny.</p>
<p>"I told you." Tara told Kim in a singsong voice.</p>
<p>Kim let out a small laugh. "Yeah, you're right. It feels nice to get free compliments."</p>
<p>"Why do you think we bring him along?" Bonnie said from the other changing room.</p>
<p>With that said, the three girls shared a laugh and any hostilities were momentarily forgotten as they continued to model in front of Danny until they eventually got hungry and decided to get some food.</p>
<hr/>
<p>So far, Middleton was turning out to be less exciting than she thought it would be. Sam figured that maybe she'd set the bar too high or perhaps Amity Park was her figurative standard. Whatever the case, the goth teen was severely underwhelmed by how normal this town was. In hindsight, she blamed Tucker for this. He kept hyping this place up so much that even Sam got her hopes up.</p>
<p>Well, a week away from the monotony of school would be good at least and Tucker's Aunt was nice enough. His cousin Wade however was a bit shy around her and was mostly shut in his room surrounded by a dozen monitors and computers. Now she knew that Tucker's Techno-geekiness ran in the family.</p>
<p>Now here they were at the local mall, the universal hang-out of teenagers no matter where you're from. Tucker had dragged her along since it was after school hours and there was a chance he could run into the girl he's been fawning over the moment they got here.</p>
<p>"Look, Tucker, I get that you want to meet her really bad but how do you know she's even here right now?" Sam questioned.</p>
<p>"According to the fan site, she's often seen at two places: Club Banana and Bueno Nacho." Tucker replied after a quick scan from his PDA. "And we already checked Bueno Nacho which, if I'm being honest, was pretty good. Although I'm still loyal to the Nasty Burger."</p>
<p>Sam sighed in defeat. "Look can't we at least do something else aside from stalking?"</p>
<p>"Hey, I'm not stalking!" Tucker defended. "I'm cautiously looking for a way that I can approach her without letting her know in a stealthy manner."</p>
<p>"Tucker that is the very definition of stalking."</p>
<p>"Point taken."</p>
<p>"Look you can continue your little hunt on your own for a bit but I am not going to be a part of it." Sam said. "If you need me, I'll be browsing through a bookstore or something and meet up with you later."</p>
<p>Tucker shrugged and continued searching for the clothes boutique where his quarry usually hung out. Sam wandered around on her own looking for something to catch her fancy. She stopped by an antique book store and skimmed a few titles that interested her but ultimately didn't buy anything. Not long after that, she found herself browsing through a music store and as she scanned the shelves, she spotted a Humpty Dumpty Album that was relatively new. She reached for it only for her hand to brush up against another who also made to grab the CD.</p>
<p>"Oh, sorry about that." The guy said. "I didn't see you there. Here, you can go ahead and take it."</p>
<p>"No, it's fine, I'll just look for another copy back home." Sam told him.</p>
<p>"Are you sure?" The other teen asked. "I mean, it's the last one."</p>
<p>Sam merely nodded and he looked a bit torn up about it before he came to a decision. He surprised her when he resignedly put the Album back on the shelf. "There that seems fair, don't you think?"</p>
<p>Sam couldn't help but shake her head in amusement. "So your solution is that if I can't have it then you shouldn't either?"</p>
<p>"Hey, I can't leave a fellow fan hanging like that. We should be able to appreciate the great Humpty Dumpty as equals and leave no man or woman behind. Can you imagine rocking out to "Couldn't Put Him Back Together Again" or "The Great Fall" by yourself? No! We should all be able to rock out together as one!"</p>
<p>The absurdity of what he spouted caused a laugh to slip past her lips. Only one other person had managed to make her laugh this much and he was currently on the hunt for a red-headed teen hero. It was so random and she loved it. He was a pretty interesting guy.</p>
<p>"I'm Danny, by the way, Danny Fenton." He introduced himself. "And I'm pretty sure you're not from around here."</p>
<p>"You got that right." Sam briefly shook his offered hand. "Sam Manson and tell me, is there anything exciting about Middleton or is it just the same as any other town?"</p>
<p>Danny's eyes held a slight twinkle of mischief as he answered. "You'd be surprised."</p>
<hr/>
<p>"Where is he?" Bonnie tapped her foot impatiently. "It was his idea to meet back up at the food court and he's the one who's late."</p>
<p>"Give him a break Bonnie." Kim defended. "We were the ones who decided to ditch him while we went off to buy underwear."</p>
<p>The girl merely huffed and crossed her arms. While Bonnie would never admit this out loud, the day hadn't been a total loss so far. When the two of them could put aside their animosity toward each other for a few seconds, Kim was actually a tolerable human being to spend time with. She couldn't completely hate the redhead when the two of them ironically had the same eye for fashion and what was considered stylish.</p>
<p>So why did she feel especially hostile to her today?</p>
<p>"Look, I'll try and text him and see–" Tara's suggestion was abruptly cut off by a rather loud shout of excitement.</p>
<p>"I can't believe it!" The three girls turned to see an African American teen with a red cap and glasses walking toward them. Specifically, he was rushing up to one of them in particular. "You're Kim Possible! I'm a huge fan!"</p>
<p>Bonnie reveled in the amount of discomfort Kim's face tried to hide.</p>
<p>"Uh, hi um…" Kim greeted uncertainly.</p>
<p>"Oh, excuse me." The nerdy teen cleared his throat. "I'm Foley, Tucker Foley. That's TF as in 'Too Fine'!"</p>
<p>"Wow, that's...cool? I'm Kim but I guess you already knew that." Kim struggled to find something to say while Bonnie and Tara were stifling their giggles. Honestly, the girl was too nice. If it were Bonnie, she would've told him to buzz off three seconds ago.</p>
<p>"Can you sign my PDA?" Tucker took out a pen from his backpack and held out the two items to Kim.</p>
<p>"Sure, why not?" Kim reluctantly signed her name on the back of the hand held device, much to Tucker's delight.</p>
<p>Tucker held the gadget with reverence as it was handed back to him. "Sweet! The kids back at Casper High will be green with envy once I show them this little baby."</p>
<p>"Casper High? Are you from out of town?" Tara inquired once she heard that tidbit. Bonnie wanted to slap her hand over her friend's big mouth.</p>
<p>"Well, hello there. I'm sorry I didn't notice you two lovely ladies earlier. Enchanté mademoiselle!"</p>
<p>"Oh for fuck's sake." Bonnie muttered under her breathe.</p>
<p>"Yeah, we're just visiting for the week until the gas leak from our school gets fixed." Tucker answered eagerly. "I'm actually staying at my cousin's along with my friend Sam."</p>
<p>"Joy, there's two of you."</p>
<p>Tara elbowed her not too gently on the ribs. "Be nice."</p>
<p>"Oh hey, I think that's my friend over there." Tucker said, waving at someone behind them to catch their attention. "Sam, over here! Wait a sec, who's that other guy?"</p>
<p>The three girls glanced over and were surprised by the fact that Danny was accompanying a raven-haired girl dressed in mostly black. The two looked to be engaged in a conversation until the girl, presumably Sam, spotted Tucker calling them over. Bonnie had initially pegged Tucker's friend as another nerd like him with glasses and stupid hat and all. She didn't think that Sam could've been a girl in that moment but seeing her acting all chummy with Danny irritated her.</p>
<p>"What took you so long?" Bonnie all but demanded.</p>
<p>"Sorry, I was just showing Sam around." Danny said once they joined the little group.</p>
<p>"You should've texted us or something. We've been standing around here like idiots for God knows how long."</p>
<p>"It's only been twenty minutes!"</p>
<p>Tara cleared her throat. The blond looked pointedly at Danny and subtly gestured to the new girl who looked slightly out of place.</p>
<p>"Oh right, Sam, these are my friends Bonnie, Tara, and Kim." He said, gesturing to each of them. "Guys, this is Sam Manson."</p>
<p>"Whatever."</p>
<p>"Hi there!"</p>
<p>"Nice to meet you."</p>
<p>"Thanks, I guess." Was Sam's reply to the mixed greeting she received. She met Bonnie's judging stare with a challenging one of her own. Bonnie knew her type instantly. One of those "unique" people who thought they were so special because they didn't eat meat or only used recyclable materials because they wanted to save the Earth and all that. She knew in that moment that the two of them would never get along.</p>
<p>"This is perfect! The more the merrier!" Tara's bubbly personality surfaced as she clapped her hands excitedly. "I know this perfect little café on the second floor. You two should join us!"</p>
<p>"Count us in!" Tucker agreed almost immediately, cutting off Sam who had barely opened her mouth to reply.</p>
<p>Before they knew it the small gaggle of teenagers found themselves seated at a table of one of Tara's favorite coffee shops. A few minutes of awkward silenced passed before Tucker got the conversation going by asking Kim about some of her missions around the world. The redhead obliged politely by telling them the story of how she saved a village from an avalanche in Tibet a few months back. While the teens from Middleton were used to Kim's exploits, Tucker and even Sam were very impressed.</p>
<p>"Wow, that's so cool!" Tucker gushed like the fan boy he was. "You managed to evacuate all those people and still had enough time to make it back for third period Algebra?"</p>
<p>"It's no big." Kim tried to sound modest but even Bonnie had to reluctantly give the redhead props for that one. Not that she would ever admit it to the girl's face but hey, it was the thought that counts. "Anyway, you probably don't want to listen to me all day. What about you guys? Anything interesting ever happen in Casper High?"</p>
<p>Sam snorted as she took a sip of her tea. "Yeah right, like anything ever happens to us back home. The last major event back at school was when Paulina got a hang nail."</p>
<p>"Who's Paulina?" Danny couldn't help but ask.</p>
<p>Tucker was quick to take out his PDA to show a picture of a pretty Latina girl with long hair in a rather provocative pose. Bonnie gave her a quick once over and rated her a six out of ten. Honestly, if you needed that much make-up, then it only meant you weren't confident enough with your own natural looks.</p>
<p>"And you saved this for what exactly?"</p>
<p>"I have my reasons."</p>
<p>Under the table, Bonnie saw Danny give Tucker a discrete low five before she kicked him in the shin for being a pervert.</p>
<p>"Anyway, our mundane lives aren't worth mentioning." Sam continued, unaware of the brief exchange under the table. "But I did see a house with a very noticeable sign labeled "Fenton Works" when we arrived. Now <em>that</em> looked interesting. Care to share the story on that Danny?"</p>
<p>The teen in question chuckled bashfully. "Yeah, that would be my house. Subtlety was never my parents' strong suit and when you add in the fact that they hunt ghosts for a living, I had a very…unique childhood."</p>
<p>"I'll say. I bet you have a bunch of crazy experiences growing up." Sam said as she leaned forward, clearly interested to hear more.</p>
<p>Bonnie narrowed her eyes at the goth as Danny recounted some of his parent's antics over the years. The boy was obviously too dense to notice but Sam looked way too interested in a story about radioactive hotdogs in the microwave than she should have been. She also noted how the other girl's arms was crossed under her bust, pushing it up a bit to make them look perkier.</p>
<p>Bonnie also knew a slightly exaggerated laugh when she heard one since Danny cracked a joke that wasn't even good. This goth hussy was blatantly flirting with her best friend right in front of her. To make matters worse, it looked as if Danny was enjoying the girl's attention. It was at that point that she'd had enough and stood abruptly from the table, surprising everyone.</p>
<p>"You know what? I think I'm going to call it a day." Bonnie said, trying her hardest to keep her temper in check. "I'm pretty tired and besides we've got extra cheer practice for tomorrow."</p>
<p>"Oh, I'll help you get a cab." Danny offered.</p>
<p>"No!" Bonnie snapped with more anger than she meant to show. "It's fine, I can grab one myself. Don't let me spoil all your fun."</p>
<p>Danny wasn't fooled for a second, judging by the way his brow furrowed. He knew something was up but she'd be damned if she told him what was bothering her right now. Instead she just grabbed her shopping bags and stormed off without another word.</p>
<hr/>
<p>The young halfa sat in his computer chair as he waited for the video call to patch through. When it finally did, the screen was able to display a slightly grainy and out of sync image of a person before becoming clearer. A young woman with red hair that was almost a shade of orange smiled at him through the web cam.</p>
<p>"Hey, Jazz." Danny greeted his sister with a grin of his own. "I'm not catching you at a bad time, am I?"</p>
<p>"Not at all. What's up little brother? You look tired."</p>
<p>"I've just had a long day and my <em>studies </em>have been keeping me up that's all." Danny said. Jazz nodded her head as she understood immediately. It had become their code for his ghostly activities ever since she found out and began helping him pick up some of his slack at home and at school. Danny had never had a problem with academics before the accident but since his grades had slipped, it became the perfect cover for mom and dad to think the reason he was so exhausted was because he was trying to regain his grade point average.</p>
<p>"Well, don't study too hard." Jazz said, her eyebrows furrowed a bit in concern. "You should take a few nights to relax every now and then."</p>
<p>"I'll keep that in mind."</p>
<p>"Danny, what's really going on?" Jazz crossed her arms. "I know you wouldn't call me just because you're having problems with studying."</p>
<p>The teen chuckled mirthlessly. "Saw right through that, huh?"</p>
<p>Jazz merely raised her eyebrow, prompting him to continue. "Alright, the truth is I need some advice and you are, although it pains me to say this, the smartest person I know."</p>
<p>"Well you came to the right place." Jazz said, preening a bit at the slight praise. Danny had to roll his eyes a bit. Before he could continue, he heard a muffled commotion from her end. It sounded like a lot of stuff just fell and someone was arguing with someone else outside the door. "Sorry, my housemates just came back from their shop till you drop spree."</p>
<p>Danny shuddered as he remembered the amount of packages he had to carry. "Please don't ever mention that phrase to me ever again."</p>
<p>He heard the sound of a door opening from Jazz's end.</p>
<p>"We're back Jazzy-Pants!" A blonde young woman with short yet stylish blonde hair came into view. "We also picked up something for you. Oh, you're going to love it!"</p>
<p>"Hey, Clover." Sam greeted the new girl. "Sorry, I'll be out with you all in a sec. I'm just talking to my brother Danny."</p>
<p>"No, way!" Clover excitedly pulled up a spare chair and all but pushed Jazz out of the way as she planted herself next to his sister in front of the camera. "I can't believe I get to finally meet your little brother! Oh, he's so much cuter than I thought. Hi, Danny! Your sister's told us so much about you."</p>
<p>"Only the good parts I hope." Danny scratched his cheek in an attempt of masking his slight flush. It wasn't every day that a beautiful college student thought he was cute. "It's nice to meet you too, Clover."</p>
<p>"He's such a gentleman." Clover told Jazz in approval. "If only you were three years older, your sister here would have to beat me away with a stick."</p>
<p>The heat he felt in his face grew hotter.</p>
<p>"Okay, Clover, getting weird now." Jazz said. "You kind of interrupted our serious conversation here."</p>
<p>"Oops? Should I leave now?"</p>
<p>"Actually, it might not hurt to get a second opinion." Danny said thoughtfully.</p>
<p>"Super! So, what's got you down? Girl problems?"</p>
<p>"Well, technically yes."</p>
<p>"Ooh, details, details ~" Clover gushed while his sister just shook her head in amusement at her friend's antics.</p>
<p>He then recounted the day's recent events, minus the minor ghost battle before going to the mall, about how he and his friends made plans to go to the mall after school as well as inviting Kim along. He finished it with Bonnie's sudden outburst and the teens going their separate ways afterwards. When he finished recounting his story, Clover and Jazz shared a knowing before staring at him as if he were some type of idiot.</p>
<p>"Okay, I think I know when things started to go wrong." Clover said. "Danny let me ask you this: who was the one who originally planned this little outing of yours?"</p>
<p>Danny thought about it for a moment. "Well, it was Bonnie's idea."</p>
<p>"Okay, and did she specifically give the go ahead for you to invite other people?"</p>
<p>"Well…no she didn't, but what's wrong with that?"</p>
<p>Jazz snorted and Clover giggled a bit at his naivety.</p>
<p>"Did it ever cross your mind and think that maybe she just wanted to spend time with just the three of her friends?" Clover inquired gently. "I love meeting new people too but I'd much rather hang out with my three best friends than a couple of acquaintances, wouldn't you agree?"</p>
<p>The raven-haired teen remembered all the times when his best friend would send rather annoyed glances at the redhead whenever she thought no one was looking. He could also recall her trading veiled barbs with Sam as they made their way to the café. Danny groaned as he realized his mistake.</p>
<p>Of course, Bonnie was annoyed. The three of them haven't had a chance to be together for a whole year and his best friend was making up for lost time.</p>
<p>"I'm such an ass."</p>
<p>"Don't beat yourself up too much, Danny." Jazz said sympathetically. "Just make it up to her next time you get the chance."</p>
<p>"Bribery works too." Clover winked at him. "I don't know about this friend of yours but I wouldn't say no to a little compensation."</p>
<p>Danny chuckled. "Thanks, you two. I needed that."</p>
<p>"Any time little brother."</p>
<p>"Don't mention it." Clover sighed wistfully and pouted cutely. "Talking with you brings back my own high school memories. This was fun. Maybe if you need some more girl advice, I'd be happy to help!"</p>
<p>"I better get to it then." Danny said as his mind began to think of ways to make it up to Bonnie. "Thanks again Clover, you're pretty cool."</p>
<p>"Aww, shucks, anything for Jazz's baby brother." Clover said.</p>
<p>"Hey, how come you never called me cool?" Jazz demanded with a betrayed look.</p>
<p>"Keep an eye on her for me will you Clover?" Danny couldn't help but tease his sister once last time. "Kind of hard to scare all the boys away with the Fenton Anti-Creep Stick when I'm way over here."</p>
<p>"Aye, aye captain!" The flirtatious blonde gave a cute mock salute and pinched Jazz's cheeks. "Don't worry, all potential boyfriends have to pass my standards first before they can even get near your cute sister over here."</p>
<p>"You guys are ganging up on me!" Jazz slapped Clover's hand away.</p>
<p>"Bye, Jazz, love ya! I'll tell mom and dad you said hi!"</p>
<p>"Oh, we're not finished here you little—"</p>
<p>Danny hit the end call button.</p>
<hr/>
<p>The next morning, Danny made sure to wake up extra early so that he could swing by Bonnie's house and perhaps spend the time walking to school as a start to his apology. He rang the doorbell and Mrs. Rockwaller opened the door a few moments later.</p>
<p>"Oh, Danny this is a surprise!" The older woman greeted him with her standard hugs. "This is perfect, Tara's also here and they're upstairs in Bonnie's room."</p>
<p>The sound of footsteps running down the stairs were heard and Bonnie appeared, looking slightly worried. "You're here, good. I was just about to call you."</p>
<p>"Yeah, listen, about yesterday…"</p>
<p>"Look, we can talk about that later, we have more important stuff to deal with right now."</p>
<p>Danny frowned in confusion as Bonnie grabbed his hand and started dragging him up the stairs to her room. He could hear Mrs. Rockwaller reminding them that they'd better hurry up if they wanted to get to school on time. Bonnie ignored the warning and hastily opened the door to her room where Tara was waiting.</p>
<p>At least, he thought it was Tara.</p>
<p>His eyebrows could have disappeared in his hairline as he noticed his friend's…unique wardrobe this morning. She went heavy on the make-up today, giving her a punk look that matched the rest of her clothes. A black crop top that displayed a healthy amount of skin along with tight leather pants held up with a chain belt and she finished it with heavy duty black boots.</p>
<p>"Oh, hey Danny! Like the new outfit? It totally rocks, right? I look just like Ember McLain!"</p>
<p>"Who's Ember McLain?"</p>
<p>Tara looked scandalized. "You haven't heard of Ember McLain?!"</p>
<p>Danny just looked at Bonnie for an explanation but she looked just as lost as he was.</p>
<p>"Here, listen to this!"</p>
<p>Tara all but shoved the earbuds on him and began playing a song that sounded like a mix of pop and rock.</p>
<p>
  <em>Oh, Ember</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>So warm and tender!</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>You will remember my name!</em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Teen Singing Sensation</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Apparently, Tara wasn't the only one who was being swept up by the new trendy rock star.</p><p>"Did we miss a memo or something?" Danny asked no one in particular as he walked down the halls of the school.</p><p>Everywhere he looked, Ember McLain was there. She was depicted on posters that were plastered on nearly all the lockers and bulletin boards. Everybody else was either dressed up as her or wrapped up in her merchandise: T-shirts, hats, jackets, shoes, hoodies, bracelets, and just about anything that could be worn. Who the hell was this chick? Nobody had ever heard of her before and suddenly she's the greatest thing since sliced bread overnight.</p><p>"Fenton!" Danny stiffened as he heard the stern voice of his Vice Principal.</p><p>"Did you need something, Mr. Barkin?" Danny asked the bulky teacher.</p><p>"Nice to see that <em>someone </em>isn't losing their heads over some rock princess." Barkin glared at a few students passing by in matching Ember McLain hoodies and blue wigs. The sad thing was the students hardly even noticed the rather intense Vice Principal as they were too busy arguing about who among them was Ember's biggest fan. "I'll be sure to get to the bottom of this rebellious epidemic spreading throughout the school and I'm going to tear it out root and stem. Mark my words."</p><p>Danny had no idea why Mr. Barkin was grumbling to him about this but he knew better than to say anything else and kept his mouth shut.</p><p>"You're a good man, Fenton." The teacher clapped him on the shoulder firmly. "It takes a lot of guts to not bow down to peer pressure like everyone else and I can respect that. You're a good soldier, now if you'll excuse me, there's a new dress code policy I must enforce."</p><p>"Thanks?" Danny said uncertainly as Mr. Barkin marched off to do…whatever he was planning to do. There was a manic gleam in his eye and he was pretty sure that the student body as a whole would feel his wrath.</p><p>"That didn't look good."</p><p>Josh Mankey walked up next to him as soon as Mr. Barkin left.</p><p>"I pity the next fool to step out of line while he's in one of his moods." Danny told the blonde as they both headed for their next class which they coincidentally had together. "Couldn't help but notice that you're still wearing regular clothes. What's the matter? Not digging the new rock princess like everyone else?"</p><p>Josh shrugged. "I'm more of a jazz guy myself."</p><p>"Never would have figured."</p><p>"What about you?"</p><p>"Me? Oh I'm just the closet fan who doesn't want anyone to see the shrine dedicated to my beloved Ember. She is a goddess given human form. I know she loves me. She just doesn't know it yet. You wouldn't understand our bond."</p><p>Josh laughed at his sarcastic declaration. "Better keep your voice down. Others might get jealous."</p><p>Danny saw a few Ember fans glare at him challengingly as they overheard the conversation. "Now I don't know if you're serious or not."</p><p>They both saw a rather nerdy boy's open locker filled to the brim with pictures of the musical diva along with a few scented candles. They were cut in a way that the guy had pasted pictures of himself along with Ember to look like they were a couple. The nerd noticed them staring and immediately shut the door and gave both of them the stink eye for even daring to gaze upon his treasured collection. The freckled and bespectacled teen threw an "I'm watching you" gesture with his fingers before he went on his merry way, humming the tune of, yep you guessed it, Ember McLain's hit single.</p><p>"That was…something." Josh said.</p><p>"Well, I did plan on getting a full night's sleep tonight, but now I'm going to be thinking about that." Danny ran a hand down his face. "Maybe forever."</p><p>"There's always therapy."</p><hr/><p>"Hold him down, Sam!"</p><p>"I'm trying! Could you hurry it up a little bit?"</p><p>Sam struggled to keep her chokehold on Tucker as her best friend continued to resist her. She may have been the more physically adept between the two of them but Tucker fought like a man possessed.</p><p>"Sorry about this Tuck." Wade slammed the dart filled with a large dose of sedative into his cousin's thigh. Sam tightened her hold on him until he went totally slack in her arms. "That should knock him out for a few hours."</p><p>"Good." Sam grunted as she rolled off her friend and stood. "What the hell was all that about? Tucker couldn't shut up about meeting Kim Possible on our trip from Amity Park and when we got back from our trip to the mall yesterday he suddenly couldn't care any less. Who's this Ember McLain person anyway?"</p><p>Wade was already typing away on his computer, displaying various articles on his many monitors. "Whoever she is, she's getting insanely popular by the minute. I've already got a thousand hits by searching her name alone. No one has ever heard of her before yesterday but after one hit single, she's suddenly got millions of fans."</p><p>"She can't be that good." Sam frowned as she glanced at a few of the articles on the monitors. The goth's eyes narrowed as she assessed the picture of said pop sensation. While she could appreciate the girl's style due to her taste, Sam could confidently say the girl was pretty enough to turn heads but was that the only factor? No, there was definitely something wrong here.</p><p>She glanced at her unconscious friend and remembered him wanting to buy a new screen protector for his precious PDA before leaving the mall yesterday. She had told him that she would wait for him outside while he went off in search of a store. He met up with her a few minutes later with a dreamy expression on his face and his earphones plugged in his ears. When she asked him if he found what he was looking for, he said he found something even better which she passed off as Tucker merely being Tucker but now she wasn't sure.</p><p>Before she could ponder any further, she saw Wade buffering a video on the internet and increased the volume of his speakers. "Alright, let's see what the fuss is about."</p><p>Sam was moving before she knew it. She grabbed the nearest object, which happened to be Tucker's PDA on the floor, and chucked it as hard as she could at the monitor, effectively shattering the screen. Ignoring Wade's surprised shout, she reached over to unplug the CPU for good measure.</p><p>"WHY DID YOU DO THAT?!" Wade gripped his head as he stared at the PDA shaped hole in his monitor in disbelief.</p><p>"Sorry, about that but you'll thank me later." Sam said. "I promise I'll pay for that but whatever you do, don't listen to Ember's song."</p><p>Wade slowly got over his shock of his destroyed hardware. "Are you implying that she's using some kind of mind control or hypnosis?"</p><p>"Maybe but it's the only thing that makes sense right now." Sam told him. "Tucker couldn't stop raving about her despite only listening to one of her songs."</p><p>"It's a good start as any." Wade said as he rebooted his systems and disconnected his broken monitor. "I'm going to patch through with Kim and Ron. Hopefully, they're already done with their mission."</p><p>Sam nodded and grabbed a spare communicator lying around as she walked out of his room. There was no point in waiting for Kim Possible to save the day when she was probably halfway across the world. Besides, she had a feeling there was someone already within the area that might be able to help.</p><p>"Where are you going?" Wade asked.</p><p>"Middleton High."</p><hr/><p>"What happened to you?"</p><p>"Don't ask." Bonnie growled, pushing away a few blue strands of the Ember wig she wore.</p><p>Danny held his hands up in surrender before leaning against the wall of the school gym. "Any luck?"</p><p>"No, but I swear to God if someone mentions how much they're Ember McLain's biggest fan to me ever again, they'll end up at the bottom of a lake somewhere."</p><p>"Not everybody seems to feel the same way." Danny frowned as he remembered his encounter with Josh and Mr. Barkin earlier. "The teachers don't seem to be affected."</p><p>"They're probably too old for loud rock and roll music." Bonnie said.</p><p>It was strange how Josh said something similar this morning. "Did Tara say anything when she came to your house?"</p><p>"She was too busy raving like a fan girl as soon as she walked through the door." Bonnie recalled.</p><p>"Did she make you listen to the song?" Danny remembered how the blonde had forced him to listen to the whole song on repeat all the way to school. He had to pretend to like it for her benefit. Admittedly, Ember was talented enough, it was just other people's reactions that were bizarre.</p><p>"She almost did but luckily you rang the doorbell before she could get any ideas."</p><p>Bonnie's answer somehow struck a chord in Danny's mind.</p><p>"What if it's the song?" Danny said. The evidence they had been presented with was slowly beginning to form a connection. "Think about it. Everyone who ever listened to it have fallen into some kind of trance. The adults won't listen to it or maybe its targeted at teens. Because you and Josh never heard it, you're fine."</p><p>Bonnie began to pace as she considered what he was saying. "If that's true then what about you? Tara forced you to listen to it all the way to school. How are you not affected?"</p><p>He'd thought about that too and he had a sneaking suspicion as to what the reason could be.</p><p>"Maybe because I'm a half-ghost." Danny said. "I could be jumping to conclusions but that's all I've got. Ember McLain just pops up from out of nowhere and suddenly she's got millions of fans worldwide after a single debut?"</p><p>"That damn bitch is a ghost." Bonnie cracked her knuckles threateningly. "And she's got our best friend, not to mention the whole student body under her spell."</p><p>"Come on. I think I've got something that can help us."</p><p>The two teens made their way to Danny's locker where he grabbed two pairs of small devices that looked like small earpieces.</p><p>"They're called Fenton Phones. Jazz and I used these so that she could help cover for me and so that I could keep her updated whenever I go out on patrol." Danny gave her one and pocketed the other. "But Mom and Dad designed them for another purpose that I honestly never thought would be useful at the time. They made it so that they could filter out ghost noise."</p><p>Bonnie placed the small gadget on her right ear. "No offense Danny, but don't you have anything else? Something that can actually pack a punch?"</p><p>"I knew you'd say that." Danny smirked and took out another of his parents' inventions. He handed it to her. "It's a compact wrist ray. Not the most powerful but it'll do the job."</p><p>"Let me guess, also from Jazz." Bonnie attached the sleek metallic bracelet with a small mounted ghost ray on her forearm. She raised it to eye level and pointed it at different directions, testing it on imaginary foes. "So what's the plan here? We can't exactly waltz right up to Ember with guns blazing. We don't even know where she is."</p><p>As soon as she spoke, there was a huge commotion headed their way as dozens of students ran down the hall in a mad frenzy. People were genuinely shoving others out of the way and trampling on those who were unfortunate enough to stumble. Danny pushed Bonnie against the lockers and used his body as a shield against the stampeding horde. It was a full ten minutes before the last student rushed past them.</p><p>"You okay?" Danny asked.</p><p>"I'm fine." Bonnie refused to meet his eyes and her cheeks were a tad flushed. It was when he noticed the rather…compromising position they were in as Bonnie had pressed her back to the lockers while his arms were raised just above her shoulders. They were close enough that their noses almost touched.</p><p>Danny jumped back as if he'd been zapped with electricity. "Sorry."</p><p>"Forget it." Bonnie still couldn't meet his eyes.</p><p>"Wonder what that was all about?" Danny coughed, trying to change the subject.</p><p>He could vaguely hear loud cheering from outside the school. The rest of the students were chanting something and Danny didn't even have to take a wild guess as to whose name they were shouting.</p><p>"STUDENTS OF MIDDLETON HIGH!" A female voice blared from large speakers out front. "TELL ME WHO YOU LOVE!"</p><p>"EMBER! EMBER! EMBER!" he could hear the crowd roaring from here.</p><p>"Fenton! Rockwaller!" A furious Mr. Barkin got their attention. He was gripping his megaphone like he was going to war. "Get back in your classroom! I'm going to be having words with our…celebrity. Nobody disobeys school rules unscathed. There will be a serious court martial when this is all over."</p><p>The two of them were escorted to a nearby classroom and Mr. Barkin slammed the door shut. Fortunately for them, the classroom was empty.</p><p>"That's convenient." Danny said.</p><p>He transformed in a flash of white and phased Bonnie with him as the two friends sunk into the ground.</p><hr/><p>The familiar beeping from her communicator was becoming incessant. Flipping over another spinning top of doom, Kim decided to finally answer. "Kind of busy here Wade!"</p><p>"Thank goodness you finally picked up!" the young genius exclaimed in relief. "I know this is a bad time but could you wrap this up? We got a situation back home."</p><p>"I'm sorry, would you like some fries to go with that?!" Kim narrowly dodged blasts from motion tracking lasers while keeping note of where the other giant tops of doom were. Meanwhile, she could spot Sr. Senior on a platform above watching in interest. "Can we talk about this later?"</p><p>Wade looked worried and a bit annoyed. "Alright but please remember that the <em>second</em> you're done with your mission, you call back."</p><p>The screen cut to black and the young heroine couldn't help but note how distressed Wade sounded. The ten-year old rarely ever sounded like that before. Still, she would deal with that after stopping this old man who seriously needed another hobby.</p><p>Sam had arrived in front of Middleton High the same time as the truck did. On the back of its wide platform was a small set-up for a band performance along with large speakers on the two sides. The most worrisome feature she noted was the face of the new hit sensation displayed on the banners.</p><p>The doors to the school burst open and before she knew it, she was being swept up by the crowd of students in full Ember McLain regalia. It was pointless to fight off the hoard of screaming fans as she inadvertently got shoved up to the front of the crowd just before the make-shift stage.</p><p>Fog machines activated and soon members of the band started taking their positions. Was it her imagination, or did they just appear out of nowhere? Before she could ponder any further, the star of the show finally made an appearance. Ember grinned down at her audience as the crowd of students went wild.</p><p>"STUDENTS OF MIDDLETON HIGH!" Her voice carried far and wide through the large double speakers. "TELL ME WHO YOU LOVE!"</p><p>"EMBER! EMBER! EMBER!"</p><p>Sam's eardrums felt like they were about to burst as hundreds of fans screamed and cheered. The drummer tapped his drumsticks together before tapping on his drums to start the song. This wasn't good! Sam started to shove her way through the crowd in a desperate attempt to get away before she got hypnotized but it was no use. Everyone else was packed too tightly and they all wanted to get closer to the stage while she was just one person.</p><p>Too late, Ember had already started to sing.</p><p>
  <em>It was, it was September</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Winds blow, the dead leaves fall</em>
</p><p>No, no, no! This was very bad. Sam elbowed another kid but the other guy hardly felt it. She needed to get away fast. She never expected to run into Ember here of all places. All she was aiming for was to get in contact with Danny Fenton, maybe he knew some way to fix this mess. His parents were ghost hunters and there was definitely something unnatural about Ember's sudden rise to fame. She had hoped to find him here but in retrospect, she didn't even know if he was also under the diva's thrall right now. Well, there goes that plan.</p><p>
  <em>To you, I did surrender</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Two weeks, you didn't call</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Your life, goes on without me</em>
</p><p>
  <em>My life, a losing game</em>
</p><p>
  <em>But you should, you should not doubt me</em>
</p><p>
  <em>You will remember my name</em>
</p><p>Sam tried to cover her ears in a vain attempt to block out the music but the speakers were too loud and she was still near the front of the stage. Why was she trying to get away again? Her mind was a bit foggy but she was going to meet someone, right? Weird, she couldn't remember clearly. Sam dropped her hands and turned to face the band performing on stage. Holy crap, Ember McLain's here! She looked so much cooler up close and personal than in the videos.</p><p>Before she knew it, Sam was also cheering along with the crowd as the chorus was sung.</p><p>
  <em>Oh Ember, you will remember</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Ember, one thing remains</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Oh, Ember, so warm and tender!</em>
</p><p>
  <em>You will remember my name!</em>
</p><p>There was a commotion at the back of the crowd as a large man with megaphone climbed on top of a car and shouted at the top of his lungs. "ATTENTION STUDENTS OF MIDDLETON HIGH! YOU'RE ALL THREADING ON THIN ICE! I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU ALL ONE CHANCE TO GET BACK TO CLASS BEFORE YOU ALL LAND YOURSELVES IN DETENTION!"</p><p>Instead of complying with the teacher's demands, the students only booed and threw stuff at the stern looking teacher. Sam joined in because while she didn't go to school here, the teacher had the nerve to interrupt such an awesome concert.</p><p>"Sorry old man, but the show's not over yet!" Ember McLain twisted a knob on her guitar and strummed. A large blast of green energy erupted and headed straight for the teacher. Despite it all, Sam cheered for her idol even when in the deepest recesses of her mind, she knew it was wrong.</p><p>Before the blast made contact, a green shield formed in front of the stern man just in time.</p><p>"That wasn't very nice." A voice said from high above them. Everyone turned to the speaker and Sam spotted a lone figure floating above the crowd with his arms crossed. "I came to see what all the fuss was about but I gotta say I'm kind of underwhelmed. You're all hype and no substance."</p><p>"My fans beg to differ, Dipstick." Ember smirked as her fans began to boo him as well. "I heard there was another ghost around these parts. Didn't expect to run into you so soon."</p><p>"Dipstick, wow." The other ghost replied in a mocking tone. "Who wrote that? The same hack who writes your songs?"</p><p>Sam noticed a slight frown on Ember's face as the other ghost pushed her buttons. How dare he? Ember's songs were the best! That other ghost clearly doesn't know what he's talking about.</p><p>"Oh great, a critic." Ember growled. In Sam's addled state of mind, she didn't even question the fact that Ember started floating off the stage. "Sorry Dipstick, but there's only room for one superstar around here and I don't like sharing the spotlight."</p><p>The other ghost smirked. "That's too bad because I can't say the same."</p><p>A blast of green energy hit Ember just after he said that, sending the ghost diva crashing into her stage. The ghost boy gave a thumbs up gesture to someone behind him and Sam spotted a figure up on the roof of the school with a device aimed at Ember. Sam clenched her fists in anger. Pushing through the crowd who were too busy booing the ghost boy and throwing garbage at him, she made her way into the school.</p><p>Nobody hurts her favorite teen idol and gets away with it.</p><hr/><p>Danny simply turned intangible as chucked pieces of litter passed harmlessly through his body. Honestly, these people had no respect for the environment. From his position high up in the air, he spotted Mr. Barkin speaking angrily on his cellphone, probably calling the authorities. He should probably wrap this up before they get here.</p><p>A large wave of energy slammed into him with the noise of an angry guitar riff.</p><p>"Okay, you wanna play rough Baby Pop? Let's play!" Ember strummed on her guitar again and a large blast of ectoplasm shot forward in the shape of a large fist. Danny hastily dodged the attack and flew straight at her, weaving through her follow up blasts. She quickly switched up her strategy and changed the setting on her guitar before strumming again. A large ripple of ghostly energy left Danny little room to evade and he grunted in pain as he flew right into it.</p><p>"Alright, new plan." Danny said as he flew straight down and disappeared into the ground below. Sound waves have a hard time going through solids so this should work out in his favor. Using his ghost sense to get a lock on Ember's position, he navigated underground before adjusting his position and flying straight up. "Peekaboo!"</p><p>Danny reappeared just in front of the ghost diva and fired two ghost rays at point blank range. Ember screeched in pain as she took the brunt of the assault and stumbled back. Not giving her a chance to recover, he attempted to grab her guitar to prevent her from using more of her powers but Ember seemed to catch on to his plan and the two ended up grappling over it. For the moment, Danny had the upper hand.</p><p>But then, everyone else started chanting. "Ember! Ember! Ember!"</p><p>"Looks like we all know who the fan favorite is." The ghost diva smirked as her ponytail made of flames roared higher and soon it was Danny who was on the back foot. Ember's power seemed to grow exponentially in the span of a few seconds. He was brought to his knees as he steadily lost in their contest of strength.</p><p>Ember surprised him by kneeing him in the gut and expelled the air from his lungs. The force of the blow was enough to make him let go of the guitar. The next thing Danny felt was a powerful blow under his chin that made black spots dance in his vision. He vaguely felt the sensation of hurtling through the air and impacting something hard before rolling to a painful stop.</p><p>He rose unsteadily to his feet only to stumble and fall to his knees as the jarring blow still had him dizzy. He heard something land next to him and Danny swung his fist instinctively. Ember caught it with little to no effort and sent him sprawling. "What's the matter Baby Pop? Out of steam already?"</p><p>"Nice to know you need your fan club to get you out of trouble." Danny groaned in pain as the dizziness subsided.</p><p>"Jealous?" Ember mocked as she strummed a few power chords to taunt him. "If you think I'm strong now, that's just a taste of what's to come. Imagine if the whole world started chanting my name, which they will once I go live tonight. By then, no one will ever forget my name <em>ever</em> again."</p><p>There was something in the way she said the last part, but Danny couldn't put a finger on it due to the mild concussion.</p><p>
  <em>Your life goes on without me….</em>
</p><p>Why the hell was he thinking about her stupid song right now?</p><p>"Danny!" He snapped out of his thoughts as Bonnie rushed over and started blasting Ember with her wrist ray. Only now did he notice that they had landed on the roof of the school. "Are you okay?"</p><p>"I've been better."</p><p>"Aw, you've got a little friend." Ember said. However, she was frowning. "How come you're not affected by my spell?"</p><p>"That's for us to know, D-list wannabe." Bonnie took aim with her weapon and Danny assumed a fighting stance. "It's two against one bitch, give it up!"</p><p>Ember laughed. "You're pretty mouthy aren't you? Whatever, it doesn't matter how you managed to negate my spell. Soon I'll have billions of fans raving about me." Ember's eyes darted to something behind them. "Speaking of fans…"</p><p>"Argh!" Someone tackled Bonnie from behind and two bodies were soon rolling around on the floor punching, kicking, scratching, and elbowing each other. Bonnie's attacker was none other than Sam Manson, the girl they met at the mall yesterday.</p><p>"Get off of me goth bitch!"</p><p>"Nobody hurts Ember like that you dumb bimbo!"</p><p>"Hey, knock it off you two-ack!" Unfortunately, a moment's worth of hesitation was all Ember needed to find an opening as he got hit once more by her guitar riffs.</p><p>He tried to retaliate with his own ghost rays but even when they found their mark, it seemed to have little effect as Ember's flaming hair flared brighter than before. "That the best you got, Baby Pop?"</p><p>Damn it, think Fenton! He hated to admit it but he had underestimated her. He never imagined she would be this powerful. If only there was a way to stop people from chanting her name, maybe he'd stand a chance. Bonnie had the thermos but she was too busy dealing with a hypnotized Sam. Furthermore, Ember stood between him and his best friend, making his job a tad bit more difficult.</p><p>Well, it's worth a shot.</p><p>"Bonnie, thermos!" Danny said, as he shot forward with all the speed he could muster.</p><p>Despite being locked in a chokehold by Sam, she nodded and slipped the strap off her shoulder and tossed it in his general direction as best she could. He was able to grab it in mid-air, unseal it, and point it at Ember hoping to catch her before she could react. Unfortunately, Ember was quick on the uptake and managed to knock the device from his hands with a powerful swing from her guitar.</p><p>She quickly adjusted her grip on her guitar and began raining down sound waves of pure ghostly energy upon him with each strum of her instrument. Danny raised a shield to protect himself but it broke within the first four hits. Pain wracked his body with every riff and he couldn't even muster the energy to raise his arms. Eventually, she stopped once she saw how badly battered and beaten he was.</p><p>"Danny!" Bonnie called out in worry but Sam was keeping a firm grip on her, preventing her from doing anything at the moment.</p><p>Ember looked like she wanted to do more but then the sound of police sirens began to wail in the distance. "Looks like we're going to have to cut this performance short."</p><p>She stepped over Danny's body and stood on the ledge overlooking the front of the school. Danny heard the students go wild when they spotted her.</p><p>"Middleton High, you've all been a great audience! In fact, you've shown me so much love that I've decided that you're all getting free tickets for my concert tonight at the Middleton Colosseum at midnight! Now, one last time: TELL ME WHO YOU LOVE!"</p><p>"EMBER! EMBER! EMBER!"</p><p>"I love you Ember!" Sam shouted.</p><p>"Oh shut up." Bonnie growled.</p><p>"Well, that's a wrap for today." Ember said as she blew them a little kiss. "Ciao babies!"</p><p>Her glowing blue hair then wrapped around her like a fiery tornado before vanishing.</p><p>"Of course she can teleport too." Danny groaned as he tried to sit up. "Why the hell not?'</p><p>Unfortunately, the movement caused a jolt of pain to shoot through his side, forcing him to change back to his human half.</p><p>"What the heck?" Sam mumbled. Bonnie felt her grip slacken and used the opportunity to slam her elbow into the goth's gut before rushing over to Danny's side. Her lower lip was split and she had a few bruises starting to form due to their scuffle. Judging from the concern in her eyes, he must've looked worse.</p><p>"Take it slow, Danny." Bonnie helped set him up so he could lean back against the ledge. "You look like shit."</p><p>"Thanks." He gave a dry chuckle but it turned into a pained grunt as it hurt to laugh. "You're not looking so good yourself."</p><p>"Psh, bet I'm still hot."</p><p>"Humble, aren't you?"</p><p>"Well, now what do we do?" Bonnie asked. The sound of sirens was closer now and they could hear Mr. Barkin trying to restore order on his megaphone.</p><p>"First we've got to-,"</p><p>"Danny? Bonnie? What happened to you guys?" Sam's voice cut off whatever he was about to say as the goth girl seemed like she just woke up from a trance. "How did I get here and why do I feel like I just came out of a boxing match?"</p><p>Bonnie scowled at the raven haired girl. "You don't remember acting like a complete psycho and attacking me?"</p><p>"No." Sam frowned in thought. "All I remember is getting here trying to look for Danny because my friend Tucker is acting all weird and swooning over Ember McLain when he didn't even know she existed until today. I remembered that your parents were ghost experts so you were the first person who I thought of who could help shed some light on whatever the hell is going on."</p><p>"That's all you remember?" Danny asked while sharing a nervous look with Bonnie. He did just unintentionally transform from a ghost to a human right in front of her.</p><p>Sam bit her lip and hesitated for a second before replying. "Yeah, the next thing I know is I'm here on this roof feeling sore all over and you guys looking how I feel."</p><p>The sound of screeching tires and car doors slamming open signaled the arrival of the police. They couldn't risk being caught up here at the scene where two ghosts battled without arousing suspicion. First things first, they needed to patch themselves up. It would be easy to claim they got swept up in the stampede earlier in the halls to cover their injuries. But afterwards, they needed to deal with Ember before her concert tonight.</p><p>"We've got to go." Bonnie said, peeking over the ledge. "They're rounding up students for questioning and handcuffing the rowdier ones. Also, parents are coming in droves. The school must've called them too."</p><p>"So what do we do?" Sam asked.</p><p>"Danny and <em>I </em>are going to figure this out while <em>you </em>can go back to whatever cave you dwell in."</p><p>"Oh real mature." Sam rolled her eyes at the insult. "But I <em>know</em> something's not right with that Ember chick and I know you guys are going to be doing something about it. My best friend is under her spell so whether you like it or not, I'm helping."</p><p>Bonnie opened her mouth to retort but Danny touched her arm. "Tara's under her spell too."</p><p>The simple reminder of their similar predicaments was enough to stifle any further argument on Bonnie's part. He had a feeling Sam won't give up on this matter easily. At worst, she might try to handle things on her own which would put her in danger. On the other hand, having an extra pair of eyes to watch their back would be nice. They just had to be careful about his secret and tread lightly from here on out.</p><p>"Okay, Sam, you can help but you'll have to follow our lead, got it?" Danny said as Bonnie helped him to his feet. "We'll explain a few things on the way but we need to get to my parent's house. There's some equipment there that we'll need."</p><p>The goth girl nodded and took out a blue hand held device that looked familiar before calling somebody with it.</p><p>"For the record, I think this is a bad idea." Bonnie murmured so only he could hear her.</p><p>"She's involved in this now Bonnie." Danny tried to reason. "We may not like it but an extra pair of hands might come in handy down the line."</p><p>"And what about Phantom, huh? You don't honestly think that we can take Ember down without him, do you? You can't exactly change with little miss gloom and doom watching us."</p><p>"We're just going to have to figure something out." Danny said. "One step at a time, Bon."</p><hr/><p>Sam trailed behind the two teens as they slowly made their way down the staircase. Danny and Bonnie were conversing in hushed tones, leaving the raven-haired girl to her own thoughts which was fine by her. The day was crazy enough as it is and she needed time to process everything that just transpired. Getting hypnotized by some weird ghost siren and then coming back to her senses a while later only to find herself battered and exhausted was not a fun experience.</p><p>She contacted Wade a few minutes earlier, keeping him posted about the situation and informing him that she'd be accompanying Danny for the time being. The ten year-old in turn notified her that the cavalry was on its way as Kim Possible had just finished whatever mission she was on and was heading home.</p><p>However, everything else seemed to take a backseat in her mind as she could only stare at Danny Fenton, the nice and funny guy she had met at the mall yesterday….</p><p>….and the fact that he somehow had super ghost powers.</p><p>The day just keeps getting weirder and weirder.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. One-Hit Wonder</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Kim couldn't help but frown as she watched the video Wade had sent her. She and Ron had just finished with her latest mission and were on a flight back home when the ten year-old began bringing her up to speed about the Ember situation. Apparently, Ember was making huge waves in such an incomprehensible amount of time. Her hit single only came out yesterday and her fame skyrocketed not long after. She scanned the internet for news articles on her communicator and the amount of hits was staggering. She even passed the Oh Boys and MC Honey in the rankings and it's only been twenty-four hours!</p><p>Oh and of course, to make things even better, Ember McLain was apparently a ghost. Joy.</p><p>The video Wade had sent her was thanks to a fan from her school that taped the whole event on camera and posted it online. The footage was a bit wobbly since the person recording was being jostled by other fans in the crowd but the quality was decent enough. Kim had the video muted for obvious reasons. Students from her school went wild as soon as Ember appeared on stage and started singing. Mr. Barkin climbed on top of his car with a megaphone and tried to restore some semblance of order but was largely ignored by the student body.</p><p>And then Phantom arrived on the scene. The two ghosts fought briefly before disappearing from view. The camera only caught the short tussle on stage before Ember sent Phantom flying through the air and pursuing him not long after. The video ended when the flash of red and blue sirens appeared from the street.</p><p>"So there you have it." Wade said. "Now you can see why I was so antsy during my last call."</p><p>"Do we have any leads on what her plans are?" Kim asked. "Or better yet, how she's controlling people? Why wasn't Mr. Barkin or the rest of the teachers affected by it?"</p><p>The ten year-old shrugged. "Your guess is as good mine on that one Kim. I'm not too sure of the specifics yet since I didn't want to risk getting caught in whatever hypnosis she's using. She seems to be targeting the young or maybe it just doesn't affect adults the same way. She's got a fully booked concert tonight and it's scheduled to be broadcast worldwide."</p><p>"And are we sure she's a ghost?" Kim asked with a hint of frustration. Ever since the cafeteria incident, these ghost incidents just seemed to stack up one after the other. Even the tweebs' news show was moved to a new time slot because of all the attention it was garnering and the fact that they had actual evidence as well as legitimate witnesses to back up their ghost reports. All of these little details boiled down to one question in Kim's mind: Have these ghosts always been around and were only getting noticed now or was this a recent development?</p><p>And of course, wherever there's a ghost, Phantom is in the thick of it. She needed to get a handle on that situation before anything else spirals further out of control.</p><p>"Well, I don't have any reason to doubt it at this point." Wade responded. "I mean, Phantom only shows up whenever it involves his kind. Not the most concrete answer, I know but it's all I got. Study of Ghosts isn't exactly revered as an actual field in the scientific community and only a select group of people actually do know anything about the topic. Lucky for you, two of them live nearby."</p><p>The Fentons. If anyone could help, they were her best bet.</p><p>"Oh speaking of which, Sam called me up earlier and told me that Danny and Bonnie didn't seem to be affected by Ember's hypnosis." Wade mentioned off-handedly. "The three of them are on their way to his house. Sam thought he might have some insight to this whole situation."</p><p>Now that Wade mentioned it, she mentally kicked herself for not thinking of her friend. Danny was basically the son of perhaps the leading ghost experts in the world right now. He must know a thing or two about them. The teen barely talked about anything related to his parents' work that it was easy to forget.</p><p>"Hey, KP, have you heard this new song?" Ron said as his head bobbed along to the music from his in-flight headphones. "This Ember is pretty good!"</p><p>Wade blinked twice. "Please tell me Ron didn't just say that."</p><p>Kim pinched the bridge of her nose and exhaled loudly. Damn it.</p><hr/><p>"Unbelievable! Kids these days are a rowdy bunch, aren't they? Skipping school and causing a public disturbance? You know back in my day Bonnie, your grandma and grandpa would've boxed my ears in and sent me off to become a nun if I pulled the same stunt these kids pulled today. I'm telling you, that Ember person is a bad influence! Why I should call her manager because I've got a few choice words for this person…."</p><p>Bonnie tuned out her mom's ranting as she opted to stare out the car window from the passenger side. Honestly, she might've been less worked up if her daughter didn't look like she just went a few rounds in a UFC cage match. Danny, who was sitting in the back beside Sam, didn't look any better which also added to her mom's fury. The three of them had spun a story about getting swept up in a stampede of wild Ember fans in the hallway. Good news was, mom totally bought it and had no idea how they had been right in the thick of things. The bad news, the woman was now on a warpath.</p><p>She did feel guilty about misleading her mother like this. The only way Bonnie had convinced her mother to allow her to stay over at the Fenton's tonight was to add fuel to her anger. Her mother decided that she was marching over to city hall along with a few parents to file complaints and attempt to cancel Ember's concert. It was touching to see how far a parent was willing to go because her child had gotten hurt.</p><p>Too bad she was going to be putting herself in even more danger.</p><p>The car pulled up next to the sidewalk where Danny's house was.</p><p>"Thanks for the ride Auntie." Danny told her mom as he exited the vehicle with Sam doing the same.</p><p>"Anytime, Danny. Tell Maddie and Jack I said hi and I'll see them later at the meeting okay?"</p><p>"Sure thing."</p><p>Bonnie made to exit the car but was stopped by a hand on her arm. Her mom gave her a firm yet worried look. "Now I want you to know Bonnie that I'm only allowing you to stay over because of this hullabaloo going on and you practically begged me to. I know you're worried about Danny's health but you've got to take care of yourself too baby."</p><p>"I know mom, it's just that if he hadn't done what he did, things could've been a lot worse for me." Bonnie told her. Not technically a lie, just not the whole truth. "It's the least I could do."</p><p>"And the fact that new girl is hanging around him has nothing to do with it, right?" Mom raised her eyebrow. Bonnie felt her face heat up in embarrassment and she was ready to spit a ton of denial before her mom stopped her with a slight giggle. "Oh, you're so easy to rile up dear. Don't bother denying it, it's written all over your face. I do understand, I was young once too you know?"</p><p>Bonnie snorted. "Yeah, right."</p><p>She got bopped on the forehead lightly for that comment. "The point is, I've watched you and your friends grow up together. We're practically family, after all. You've been in a bad mood since your little outing yesterday and I can understand why. I just want you to know that you've all still got your lives ahead of you and there's no need to rush into things you might not be ready for. Just let things sort themselves out and maybe you'll even surprise yourself."</p><p>Bonnie tried not to let it show how much of her mom's words struck a chord with her. They were just so sudden and unexpected. She couldn't believe her mother picked up on all of that from her cranky mood yesterday. The woman was more perceptive than she gave her credit for and she loved her all the more because of it.</p><p>"Okay, I'll keep that in mind." Bonnie scooted over to give her a hug. "Thanks mom."</p><p>"Any time, Bon-Bon." The older woman gave her a quick kiss on the temple. "Now get in there and let that other girl know who's boss around here."</p><p>"Mom!"</p><p>"Kidding, now I better go. See you later, sweetie!"</p><p>Jeez, way to ruin the moment. Bonnie watched her mother drive off in the direction of city hall before heading inside the Fenton residence. It was a typical two story suburban home just like any other around the neighborhood located a few streets from her own. However, the only distinguishing feature it had was the large structure built above the house. The ops center was a huge mish mash of equipment ranging from satellite dishes, antennas, anti-ghost weapons, and other defense mechanisms that she didn't know about. A neon sign was attached out front: Fenton Works.</p><p>Danny was in the kitchen scrounging around the freezer when Bonnie entered while Sam was idly lounging on the sofa scanning some pictures dotted on walls and shelves.</p><p>"Good news, my parents are out investigating the large spike in ghost energy, so they might get back late." Danny informed her as he took out a small ice pack from the fridge. "There's a leftover meatloaf on the table if you're hungry."</p><p>Bonnie scrunched her nose. "Your mom didn't stick that in your microwave, did she?"</p><p>One experience with mutated hotdogs was enough for one lifetime, thank you very much.</p><p>"Nope, thank God for small mercies." Danny said and handed her a small jar of petroleum jelly for her split lip. He walked over to Sam and gave her the ice pack. The girl nodded in thanks before placing it over her black eye. "You two sit tight for a sec. I'll just get down to the lab and grab a few things."</p><p>Oh, he did not just leave her here with Count Dracula's vegetarian cousin.</p><p>"So, you guys seem pretty close." Sam tried to break the awkward silence with small talk.</p><p>Under normal circumstances, Bonnie would've ignored the girl entirely but if there was one thing she hated more, it was silence. "You could say that. We've known each other since first grade."</p><p>The ticking of a nearby wall clock felt extremely loud for a few moments.</p><p>"So where's your friend Tucker?"</p><p>"He's…indisposed at the moment." Sam said. "We had to sedate him so that he wouldn't leave the house. His cousin Wade's keeping an eye on him."</p><p>Tick. Tick. Tick.</p><p>Danny sure is taking his sweet time down in the lab. God this was torture.</p><p>"Okay, you know what? Screw it." Sam blurted out and she gave Bonnie a look. "Let's stop beating around the bush here. Did I offend you in some way I don't know about?"</p><p>Well, the can of worms have been opened and there's no coming back from this now.</p><p>"For starters, maybe you can take a hint before barging in on other people's activities." Bonnie snapped.</p><p>Sam scowled at her. "I was under the impression that your friend Tara had invited us to come along. How was that barging in?"</p><p>Bonnie could barely hear her now as she continued her small tirade. "And maybe, just maybe, you could learn a little concept of personal space where Danny's concerned. I saw how you were all over him at the café with his corny jokes that weren't even funny in the first place!"</p><p>A look of understanding passed over the other girl's face and Bonnie wanted to kick herself for letting that little tidbit slip.</p><p>"I see, so this is about Danny."</p><p>"Not all of it." Bonnie took several breaths to calm herself down a bit. No need to get worked up over this. She crossed her arms and leaned back into the couch, crossing her legs in the process. "I saw the look on your face the moment you spotted us. What did you call me earlier, a dumb bimbo?"</p><p>"I was hypnotized!"</p><p>Bonnie rolled her eyes at the weak excuse. "Yeah and I bet that thought still hasn't changed. I've dealt with your types before. You roll your eyes at us because we like make-up, clothes, and wear cheerleader uniforms and all that shallow shit you think we do. You judge us in the background just because we wave pompoms around and giggle when we gossip about boys we like. Newsflash, it's called being a teenage girl."</p><p>Bonnie noticed Sam's grip on the ice pack tighten when she heard the sound of ice grinding together.</p><p>"Well, you haven't exactly helped your case since you're exactly how we see you." Sam responded with anger. "Ever since I got here, you've been rude to me and my friend just because I dress differently and have different interests. So what if I like black clothing and dark poetry over pink and romance novels? So what if my best friend Tucker likes to tinker with technology instead of a football? It's you people that love belittling us just because we're not normal or we don't do other normal things like other teens. So don't you dare tell me that my feelings towards anyone with a cheerleader uniform are unjustified!"</p><p>Bonnie was taken back with the amount of emotion the raven-haired girl opposite of her displayed. Her chest was heaving and Sam's eyes got a bit misty before she hastily tried to regain her composure. The goth teen refused to look at her and chose to stare at the coffee table instead. She sounded so hurt and angry that Bonnie felt that Sam had projected someone else in front of her when she said those things.</p><p>Maybe, just maybe, Bonnie had misjudged her too harshly and allowed jealousy to get the best of her.</p><p>Coming to a decision, the cheerleader sighed and got to her feet before rummaging through the living room drawers.</p><p>"What are you doing?" Sam asked. All the anger seemed to drain from her as well and was merely curious.</p><p>Ignoring the question, Bonnie opened another drawer and found what she was looking for. She took out the small photo album and opened it on a specific page. She put it in front of the coffee table facing the goth without saying a word.</p><p>Sam gave her a weird look before looking through the photo album. Bonnie didn't bother to look since she had the exact same album at her house and she knew Tara kept hers in her bedroom. Sam gasped as she no doubt finally recognized who the people in the photo were.</p><p>"Is…is this you?" Sam switched back and forth between staring at her and the photo. "This was also...Danny and Tara?"</p><p>"Yep."</p><p>Bonnie barely glanced at the photo that showed a smiling boy with a muddy and dirty soccer uniform, a shy blonde in pigtails with large glasses and braces, and a smirking girl with dark eyeliner and black lipstick wearing steel toed boots and a black leather jacket. The three pre-teens in the photo seemed to belong to different worlds but you didn't need more than one look to see how close they were.</p><p>Sam was flabbergasted while Bonnie hastily shut the album before another page could be flipped. She wasn't ready to reveal all of her mortifying past with a stranger. God even remembering herself dressing up like that in middle school was bad enough. Cringe.</p><p>"What's the matter? Cat got your tongue?" Bonnie said, putting away the album. It's served its purpose well enough.</p><p>"No offense but how did that turn into…that?" Sam pointed at the drawer and then at Bonnie.</p><p>The cheerleader shrugged. "Like I said, the three of us grew up together. Doesn't mean that we share all the same interests. We went to all of Danny's soccer games even when it was scorching hot or raining outside. We attended all of Tara's spelling bees and piano recitals despite most of them being boring as hell. They also kept me company during open mic poetry readings at my favorite bookstore even when I know they don't like dark poetry."</p><p>Bonnie paused a bit to see that she had Sam's full attention before continuing. "But obviously, things change. I was into the whole goth gig but I also wanted to try out for cheerleading. People thought it was weird when I showed up for tryouts one day and they laughed at me for even attempting to get on the squad. I knew I was good enough since I've been having dance lessons since I was five but the captain didn't want 'someone like me' on the squad so I didn't make the cut." She let out a rueful laugh as she remembered what happened shortly afterward. "The sad thing was, word must have gotten around and it wasn't long before even the people at the bookstore started treating me differently. I was a loyal customer so they couldn't ban me but the people who I've known for quite a long time suddenly started to act as if I was a stranger they'd just met. I wasn't one of them anymore since I wanted to strut around and wear other colors instead of black."</p><p>"Long story short, I ditched the goth look and started wearing whatever I like but still read the same poetry from time to time." Bonnie said, trying to hide the fact that digging up old memories stung. Now that she thought about it, maybe she could relate to Sam on some level in that regard. "For what it's worth, I'm sorry I treated you like shit yesterday. Seeing you brought up some bad memories and I just lashed out."</p><p>"At least, you're honest about it." Sam chuckled a bit. "I can honestly say I've never met a cheerleader with a potty mouth like yours before. Truce?"</p><p>"Truce."</p><p>You could feel the tension slowly slip away not long after that. By some miracle, the two of them had managed to clear the air a bit. The two teens knew that they might never be the best of friends or heck even just friends in general but they had a mutual understanding of one another. For the moment, that was enough.</p><p>The comfortable silence between them was broken by the doorbell.</p><p>Bonnie's eyebrows twitched in irritation as she answered the door and saw who was standing outside.</p><p>"Bonnie? What are you doing here?" Kim Possible asked in confusion. "Is Danny around?"</p><hr/><p>Danny stared up at the ceiling in askance, fully wishing for a divine response.</p><p>
  <em>Why do you hate me?</em>
</p><p>Bad enough that he got the crap kicked out of him not too long ago, he now had to juggle his secret identity with not one but two other girls who were each intelligent in their own right. If he were a regular teen, having three beautiful girls in your living room at the same time would be awesome, and in a way it still was but he couldn't even enjoy that simple fact because there was a ghost singer on the loose hell bent on turning the entire population into a horde of crazy fans.</p><p>
  <em>To reiterate: Why do you hate me?</em>
</p><p>"Sorry to barge in like this Danny but we have a major sitch here." Kim began. It was the first time he saw her garbed in her mission clothes which left quite a bit of mid-riff exposed. "Wade, how's everything going on your end."</p><p>The living room TV crackled to life and displayed the live image of a chubby kid in front of multiple monitors. "Oh good, you're all here. Makes things easier."</p><p>Danny didn't know whether to be impressed or troubled by how easily this kid had hacked into his parent's security system. He'd have to look into that later.</p><p>"I've been running some tests on Tucker to get a better understanding of how Ember's hypnosis works." Wade theorized. "Based on the data I've compiled so far, it seems to affect only young people ranging from twenty-five years and below. I got my mom to listen to it as a test and thankfully nothing happened so it's safe to assume that her song is targeted towards the youth demographic. However, I'm still a bit lost on how to reverse the effects or prevent it from happening. Which begs the question, how are you three unaffected by her?"</p><p>Kim also found it curious and glanced at each of them expectantly. Damn it, now he had to pull something out of his ass quick. He knew Bonnie would back up whatever excuse he gave to make it believable but the problem was Sam. He still wasn't sure exactly how the girl broke free from Ember's hold but it had been right at the moment he transformed.</p><p>He couldn't afford to disclose that little detail.</p><p>"We had an inkling that she was a ghost from the get go." Danny said. Not a complete lie. "Tara was acting weird on the way to school and apparently, she wasn't the only one. We started asking around but nobody could give us any straight answers so I defaulted to the one logical thing I knew: ghosts."</p><p>Bonnie jumped in. "So Danny and I put these on." She showed them the Fenton Phones. "They basically nullify any ghost noise so we weren't affected by Ember when she got to school. Mr. Barkin told us to stay put in a classroom while he dealt with all the commotion happening outside."</p><p>"Those look pretty handy, given the current circumstance." Kim picked one up and admired the design. "But what about Sam? She was at school when Ember arrived."</p><p>Four sets of eyes turned to the goth teen nursing her black eye. Alright, depending on what she says next, Danny should be able to come up with a cover story that matches hers. Hopefully Bonnie was thinking the same thing and they could piggyback off each other to throw off any possible suspicion.</p><p>"I don't really remember that much." Sam shrugged.</p><p>Wait, what?</p><p>Blue met amethyst for a brief moment before she continued. "Yeah, everything's one big blur. I remember the truck arriving but as soon as Ember started to sing I was a goner. Next thing I know, I'm lying down on the ground in the hallway with a killer headache and a shiner while the cops were questioning students. Then I met up with these two."</p><p>
  <em>She knows.</em>
</p><p>He could see Bonnie coming to the same conclusion from the corner of his eye. She lied about not remembering anything up on the roof and now she's lying again to protect his secret. The question was why? Why go through this effort for someone she just met yesterday? Whatever the case, he would have to put a pin on that discussion for later.</p><p>"Well, it was worth a shot." Kim said, miffed by the fact Sam's explanation didn't provide any means of breaking through the spell. "First things first, Wade I'm going to need you to try and stop the broadcast. We can try to figure out how to snap people out of it after we take care of Ember. Who knows? Maybe it wears off once she's been beaten."</p><p>"You make it sound so easy Kim." Bonnie scoffed. "We can't exactly jut waltz into the stadium and call it a day."</p><p>"Okay, time out." The red-head made a T with her hands. "There is no <em>we</em>. This may come as a shock to you Bonnie but I do this pretty much every other week."</p><p>"In case it slipped your mind, Kim." Bonnie crossed her arms. "We're not dealing with whacko scientists or Scottish golfers in a kilt! We're up against a paranormal entity that defies human logic. Have you even dealt with a ghost before?"</p><p>"As a matter of fact, I have." Taking a step forward and placing her hands on her hips. "Twice and I'm confident enough to say I handled both instances well."</p><p>Danny flinched as he remembered both of those instances. While he could attest to her skill with an ecto-weapon, he would feel much more confident with their odds if she had back-up. Ron had fallen under the spell by accident so she would be going at it alone except for Wade and his tech expertise.</p><p>He stepped in before the argument could get any more heated. "Okay, let's bring things back and focus here. Kim, everyone here knows how good you are but could you honestly say our chances of success wouldn't be better if you had more people to help?"</p><p>Kim gave a reluctant nod in response.</p><p>"And Bonnie, Kim does have a lot of experience that we shouldn't take for granted. We should trust her judgment about these things." Danny told her. His best friend huffed in annoyance but didn't say anything else so that was a good start. "Let's get back to the matter at hand. Wade, can you bring up a schematic of the stadium?"</p><p>The ten-year old complied and with a few click of keys, a complete blueprint of the Middleton Colosseum appeared on the television. "Alright, there are a few emergency exits we can take advantage of. Which of them would you go for Kim?"</p><p>The red-head studied the schematic before pointing out two exits. "These two might be our best bet. One's close enough to the stage and another is a straight shot to some of the back rooms where performers get ready."</p><p>Danny nodded. "Alright, there's four of us so we can cover more ground if we split up. We can communicate using the Fenton Phones so even if Ember does manage to sing, it won't affect us. Our main objective should be to snap everyone out of the trance before she starts the broadcast."</p><p>"Wait a sec, shouldn't it be the opposite?" Sam asked and he could see the others giving him the same questioning look. "I mean, shouldn't we try to stop the broadcast before snapping everyone out of the spell?"</p><p>Danny couldn't exactly tell them that Ember gets more powerful with every person chanting her name. According to their cover story, he had been stuck in a classroom during the commotion at school. She was significantly powerful as she is now with only the people from Middleton under her thrall, give or take a large number of teens who listened to her stuff on the internet or radio across the States.</p><p>"I'll admit that prevention might be better than the cure." Danny said. "But if worst comes to worst, we have an ace in the hole ready to be used at a moment's notice. Wade, how long will it take you to disable the broadcast?"</p><p>The young boy scratched his head. "Maybe fifteen to twenty minutes? It's a global broadcast with several different networks that will cover the whole event. It'll take at most twenty minutes, tops. I also need direct access to the systems. I can't do that remotely."</p><p>Not a lot of time but it was doable. Danny ran through several scenarios in his mind.</p><p>
  <em>Gotta think four moves ahead.</em>
</p><p>Damn it, he hated it when the fruit loop was right.</p><p>"Okay, in the meantime, we have three hours before the concert." Danny stated, checking the clock. "Wade use that time to break Tucker out of the trance and if possible, how to duplicate the process on a large scale. In the meantime, we need someone to run interference. Kim might be able to handle Ember on her own but she probably has a security team ready to jump in. We need somebody backstage to keep that in check. Not to mention finding some way to plug Wade into the system…"</p><p>He looked up to find four pairs of eyes staring at him. He hadn't noticed how quiet everyone had gotten and just kept rattling on about his plan. He scratched his head self-consciously under the attention. "U-Unless you guys have a better idea, of course. Sorry, didn't mean to ramble non-stop."</p><p>"No!" Kim blurted out before clearing her throat. "I mean, it's a solid plan as any. I say we go for it."</p><p>Sam shrugged. "You don't see me complaining. You're pretty good at this."</p><p>"Look at you, taking charge like that." Bonnie smirked and teasingly elbowed him. "Anything else, oh fearless leader?"</p><p>"Uh, no, that's all I got." Danny couldn't meet anyone's eyes and he could only hope his face wasn't as red as he felt.</p><p>"I better get to work then." Wade joined in on the teasing and gave a mock salute. "By your leave captain!"</p><p>The three girls shared a small laugh out of his discomfort. "Okay, very funny. Anyway, if we're going to fight ghosts, we need some stuff to even the odds."</p><p>He led the three girls down into the lab where Kim and Sam stared in wonder at all the gizmos and ghost hunting equipment scattered around. Bonnie was unimpressed since she had been down here a number of times both before and after he revealed his secret. The basement was actually pretty spacious considering the Specter Speeder was parked on the far wall and his parents still had enough room for work tables and other projects they were working on. Of course, the main attraction was the Fenton Portal that was currently closed.</p><p>"Is that…?" Kim pointed at his parent's greatest invention.</p><p>"A doorway to a different dimension full of ghosts?" Danny walked over and punched the security code to open the portal. The heavily fortified steel doors slid open, bathing the room in a sickly green glow from the swirling portal. "Yes it is."</p><p>He noticed Bonnie giving the machine a hateful glare and he couldn't blame her. He lost several months of his life because of it. Time he could've spent being a regular teen.</p><p>"Wow, this is unreal." Sam said, amazement in her eyes as she stared into the mesmerizing green depths. "Has anyone ever stepped through it? To see what's on the other side?"</p><p>"No, at least not yet." Danny felt ashamed by how quick he was to lie but it was necessary. In truth, he had already made a few trips into the Ghost Zone but he never ventured very far. A few miles at most just to get a basic layout of the place. "My parents have sent out a few probes and tuning the Specter Speeder so that it could withstand a longer trip but as far as I know, they haven't been to the Ghost Zone."</p><p>"Ghost Zone?" Kim asked.</p><p>Danny shrugged in response. "It's what my parents call it."</p><p>Deciding they've seen enough, he punched another code and the portal slammed shut. He didn't want to run the risk of another ghost slipping past and catching them unaware. However, it looked like his little show worked. Danny wanted to reinforce the idea of ghosts and just how real they were since they were about to face one. It was mostly for Kim's benefit since she would be on the front lines holding Ember off. At least until he could slip away and go ghost.</p><p>"Question: can we skip to the good part now?" Bonnie impatiently asked.</p><p>Danny grinned at her impetuousness. "Okay, but only because you asked nicely."</p><p>He tapped on a panel on the wall before a large display of ghost hunting gear popped out of the wall.</p><p>Sam whistled.</p><p>Bonnie eyed the various weapons and gravitated towards a large bazooka. Danny lightly slapped her hand away before she could touch it, earning him a frown.</p><p>"Right, let's not go too crazy." Danny joked as he picked up a few things off the display. "We'll probably only need a few things and these should work just fine. Here, let me show you guys how to use…"</p><hr/><p>"Ten minutes until curtain Ms. McLain."</p><p>Ember barely acknowledged the guy who poked his head in and ducked back out as soon as he notified her. Even from her dressing room backstage, she could already <em>feel </em>the crowd's palpable excitement. Her flaming blue hair was a barely contained inferno at this point and the newfound power coursing through her was intoxicating. She couldn't help but admire herself in front of her large vanity mirror. A confident, powerful, and smoking hot rock star greeted her as she smiled. No one would be able to forget someone who looked like that.</p><p>Pretty soon, no one will.</p><p>She summoned her guitar and headed out. A pair of bouncers stepped in front of her as they navigated the back stage area. She couldn't help but roll her eyes. As if she needed them for protection. Whatever, she'd only have to put up with it for now. She could only hypnotize a certain age group of people with her music so anyone above the age of twenty-five was unaffected at the moment. She had to overshadow her agent, producer, and a couple of marketing people the old fashion way to get her music out there as quick as humanly possible and from then on it was cake.</p><p>As her small entourage turned into another hallway, she spotted a commotion. A bouncer was struggling to keep a hold on a teen's arm.</p><p>"Don't make this any worse for yourself miss!" The large security personnel grunted.</p><p>"Let me go! I just want to see Ember!"</p><p>Upon closer inspection, it was the goth girl from before. She had admittedly left quite an impression on Ember and frankly, she liked the girl's go-getter attitude. Sneaking back stage just to meet with her? That took guts. Besides, what's a rock star without her fans?</p><p>"It's alright boys, she's with me." Ember made her way over and smirked as she noticed the pure awe and adoration she saw in the girl's eyes. There was no way that could be faked. This girl was definitely under her spell. "She helped me out of a jam earlier today and I think she deserves a little VIP treatment."</p><p>The security guard reluctantly let go and the girl was instantly beside her gushing and singing her praises. Ember was amused by her enthusiasm. She could only imagine how all her fans would feel if they met her personally. As they made their way to the stage, she never noticed the weird high-tech earphones the girl was wearing.</p><hr/><p>The fog machines came alive and the lights blared. If she hadn't been paying attention to the way the band members just seemed to appear on stage, she never would have known it wasn't a cheap gimmick. Of course, with the way the crowds were screaming their heads off, she doubted anyone would've cared that they were actually cheering for a ghost.</p><p>The cheers only magnified when Ember appeared in a burst of blue flames.</p><p>"She's here. Get to the control panel and plug in the communicator." Kim said into her pair of Fenton Phones. "I'll keep our pop diva busy."</p><p>"You got it."</p><p>"Yeah, yeah. We know our jobs. Break a leg K."</p><p>"Aww, is that concern I hear from you Bon-Bon?" Kim sarcastically replied.</p><p>"No seriously, I mean literally break a leg. Maybe then you can take some time off and leave me in charge of the team for a while."</p><p>"Children, please focus." Danny's exasperated voice cut in. Kim had the good grace to feel a bit chastened. Bonnie grumbled something softly on her end of the coms. "Seriously, be careful Kim."</p><p>The lights started to swing toward the stage and Kim took that as her cue. Using her agility and the densely packed audience, she leapt over their heads and quickly dashed to the stage using the crowd's shoulders as stepping stones. The people didn't seem to mind as much, too enamored by Ember's entrance to even worry about some redhead. With one last jump, she was able to clear the distance between her and the stage.</p><p>"Who're you supposed to be, Carrot-Top?" Ember turned her attention to her. "Sorry to say but if you want an autograph, you're going to have to wait in line just like everybody else."</p><p>"No thanks, you're overrated anyway." Kim replied, drawing out her ecto-blaster, the same type of model Mrs. Fenton had lent her during the ski trip. "Besides, I'm more of a boy band kind of girl."</p><p>Ember shrugged like it was no big deal. "Suit yourself. Love to chat some more but you're cramping my style here. You're going to have to get lost." Ember snapped her fingers and signaled to her security detail but after a few seconds, nothing happened.</p><p>There were two heavy thumps near the back stage as two bodies fell to the floor unconscious and twitching. Standing over the downed bouncers was Sam, brandishing a taser. Looks like their plan worked. Hypnotize Sam with Ember's music and play the cure through her Fenton Phones when she got into position. "Whoopsie-daisy." She mouthed and smirked at Ember.</p><p>The ghost frowned in annoyance. "So that's how it is. Okay, then."</p><p>That was her only warning as Ember strummed her guitar. Kim rolled to the side, dodging the wave of ghostly energy. The crowd went wild, and continued to cheer for their rock star like she hadn't just tried to obliterate a person on live television. Ember lifted off the ground and Kim tried to take a few shots at her but she deftly batted the shots aside with her hand.</p><p>"That all you got, Red?" Ember taunted. Her next blasts covered a wider range instead of a concentrated blast, forcing Kim to flip over them. The redhead failed to get a clear shot, too busy dodging blasts and Ember wasn't exactly just floating in one spot. "You broke that goth chick over there out of my spell. Guess that means you've got some help. Where's that other mouthy girl and her ghostly boy toy?"</p><p>"What are you talking about?" Kim fired a shot but was forced to miss wide in favor of moving away from another blast.</p><p>Ember shrugged. "Fine, play dumb. I don't really care either way but you're seriously overstaying your welcome. Now get the hell off my stage!"</p><p>In a burst of speed, Ember flew toward her and grabbed both of Kim's wrists, planning to throw the heroine away.</p><p>Big mistake.</p><p>Arcs of ectoplasmic energy coursed through her body and into the pop star, causing her to shriek in pain and let go. Kim attempted to roundhouse kick her in the head but Ember quickly phased through the floor and reappeared a few feet away. From the corner of her eye, the redhead spotted Sam trying to keep a few other security guards busy. Focusing back on Ember, the singer glared at her or more specifically the Specter Deflector she now wore around her waist.</p><p>"Not very fashionable but it sure is functional." Kim said, adopting another ready stance. "What happened to all that bravado pop star? Stage fright?"</p><p>Instead of answering to her barb, Ember grabbed the microphone off the stand and floated up once again. "Sorry for the delay folks but we got ourselves a little party crasher."</p><p>The crowd booed and hurled insults at Kim. What was she doing?</p><p>"Let's show me some love so remind me again Middleton, who do you love?"</p><p>"Ember! Ember!"</p><p>"Louder!"</p><p>"EMBER! EMBER!" The entire arena shook with the volume of chants. Not only that, was it Kim's imagination or was the ghost's flaming blue hair growing bigger and brighter? She didn't have any time to ponder further because as fast as she could blink, Ember appeared right in front of her. Kim reflexively threw a punch but the ghost singer caught it in one hand and squeezed. Kim grunted in pain as the pressure on her hand increased. The Specter Deflector was throwing out sparks of ectoplasmic volts but unlike before, Ember was less affected by it.</p><p>With her newfound strength, Ember reached down and forcefully pulled the specter deflector off of the redhead. Kim was then unceremoniously flung into the crowd which had been whipped up into a wild frenzy. She landed on a few people and hurried to her feet but the people around her were restricting her movement. She had little to no room to maneuver and the crowd was grabbing and trying to hold her down with sheer numbers and bulk. Thankfully, she wasn't too claustrophobic or else this would've been a real nightmare.</p><p>It was then that she felt a strange cold sensation pass through her body. Not painful but it was unnatural and she noticed that the hands trying to pin her down passed right through her like she wasn't even there.</p><p>"Guys, guys, ever heard of personal space?" A familiar voice behind her spoke up. A quick glance behind her showed Phantom with a hand on her shoulder.</p><p>"What are you doing here?"</p><p>Phantom gave her a look. "Wow, really? No 'Gee thanks for the assist'? Come on cut me some slack here."</p><p>"We've got everything under control." Kim said, trying to shrug his hand off her shoulder. Instead, he grabbed her hand and took off into the air, headed for the stage.</p><p>"It sure looks like it." Sarcasm heavy from his voice. "That's why I had to step in and prevent you from being on the wrong end of a mosh pit. You're welcome by the way."</p><p>Okay, he had her there, not that she'd say it to his face. It stung her pride a bit that it was the second time he had to save her. Maybe that's why she was just annoyed by his very presence. Plus, his snarky tone didn't help paint a flattering image of him. But more importantly…</p><p>
  <em>You shouldn't trust a ghost…</em>
</p><p>Mr. Masters had told her that. He was close friends with the Fentons and also a fellow paranormal researcher back in the day before he branched out into business instead. He had no reason to lie to her.</p><p>The two of them landed on the stage much to Ember's irritation. "It's just one after the other today. You guys really are gluttons for punishment. Glad you could make it Dipstick. Ready for round two?"</p><p>"You know me, always raring to go." Phantom shot back. But to Kim he said. "Look, I know we're not exactly on the best terms but right now she's the bigger threat. You obviously have some sort of plan so I'll follow your lead. Let me help you."</p><p>If she didn't know any better, Kim might've been convinced by the sincerity in his tone. While she didn't trust the strange ghost, there was no mistaking the more dangerous opponent.</p><p>"Fine, but no funny business like last time." She was still trying to figure out what happened during her minor black out back in the mountains.</p><p>Phantom chuckled and his hands started to glow with ethereal green energy. "You're the boss."</p><hr/><p>You'd think that with their temporary truce the two teens could at least work together and maybe do some awesome combo maneuvers like an action movie. Danny would swoop in and Kim would vault off his back and both of them would simultaneously punch the enemy. Good guys win, and cue credits.</p><p>Easier said than done.</p><p>"Hey, watch it!" Danny barely ducked an ecto-blast but not from Ember.</p><p>"Stop charging in so much!" Kim rolled to the side and came to a crouch. "Would it kill you to think a little?"</p><p>"I'm sorry, I thought I was running interference like you told me to!"</p><p>"Not what I had in mind! I can't shoot her if you're constantly flying in!"</p><p>"And what's the point of distracting her if I can't even get close?"</p><p>Ember laughed. "Oh wow, look at you two. Should I leave you lovebirds alone for a minute?"</p><p>"Shut up!" The two teens shouted in unison.</p><p>This wasn't working. Teamwork can't be built in a day, much less a few minutes. They were trying, Danny could see that but it wasn't as smooth sailing as he expected it to be. His strategy was to hit hard and fast with brute force whereas Kim wanted accuracy and agility to win the day. If they kept stepping on each other's toes like this, they won't accomplish anything. Sam was keeping security backstage at bay but not for long and Wade was still hacking into the network while Bonnie made sure nobody interrupted. The boy genius needed at least ten more minutes.</p><p>"Look, we're obviously not getting anywhere." Danny told Kim as he landed next to her, keeping Ember in his line of sight. "She's way more powerful than when I fought her before. We need a new game plan."</p><p>"I noticed." Kim said, thankfully without the mistrustful tone she always had when speaking to him. She must have realized how the odds were stacked against the two of them. "It has something to do with the crowd. The more they cheer for her the stronger she gets."</p><p>"Don't suppose you have some powerful knockout gas that could wipe a whole stadium out?"</p><p>"I wish."</p><p>"There goes that plan." Danny quipped. "How about instead of a two on one against her, we go at it one at a time and switch out?"</p><p>"I don't have any better ideas." Kim conceded. "Let's try it."</p><p>"Ladies first?"</p><p>"Such a gentleman." Kim smirked before leaping into the fray once more. Danny flew up to get a better vantage point as well as to give the two combatants some space.</p><p>The redhead was a flurry of movement. Despite Ember's widespread attacks, Kim was able to dodge out of the way, sometimes only by a hair's breadth and still manage to get out a couple of shots. Now that she wasn't firing that blaster at him, Danny could see how she was able to fly off around the world and save people. Bonnie didn't give her enough credit. The amount of effort and training the teen must have gone through to reach this level of skill was insane. She was like a freaking ninja!</p><p>Unfortunately, as amazing as she was, the girl had her limits. She was only human and at this point in the battle, it was clear that even on the highest setting, the ghost blaster was hardly doing any damage. It was also apparent that while Ember couldn't land any hits on the teen heroine, the ghost wasn't tiring out and was merely waiting for her opponent to slip up. All it would take was one clean hit with a powerful ghost ray and Kim could get seriously hurt.</p><p>Kim's movements eventually began to slow as time wore on and it was then Danny decided to step in. She was able to buy them three minutes of time. Not ideal, but it was better than nothing. He landed next to her and tapped her on the shoulder. "My turn."</p><p>His only response was an exhausted nod before she started backing away.</p><p>"That was a nice little warm up." Ember taunted. "Think you can last longer than last time, Dipstick? I'll understand if you won't be able to keep it up, if you catch my drift."</p><p>"Ho ho, she makes jokes." Danny replied in a sarcastic tone. "Maybe you should be a comedian instead."</p><p>He didn't give a chance to reply and fired off two simultaneous ghost rays from his palms. Danny flew up and repeated the process two more times before letting the smoke clear.</p><p>"So close, Baby-pop."</p><p>Danny couldn't react in time as a powerful wave of energy slammed into him from behind. He was able to right himself in the air but Ember was already gone.</p><p>"Over here."</p><p>He swung his glowing green fist but it was caught by a grinning Ember. Pain was the next thing he felt as her own fist drove into his gut, knocking the wind right out of him. Two more punches followed before he was slammed forcefully back down to the stage, splintering the heavy wood.</p><p>Oh right, she could teleport. Forgot about that one.</p><p>Also, ow.</p><p>He was lifted off by the scruff of his jumpsuit. "Had enough?"</p><p>"You hit like a girl." Danny wheezed a bit. Two beams of ectoplasm shot from his eyes and surprised Ember enough for her to drop him. Not wasting the opening, he phased down to the floor and reappeared a few feet away to create some distance.</p><p>Danny tried to keep a cocky smile on his face in a meager attempt to piss her off but deep down, he was anything but confident at the moment. Their little exchange of blows happened so fast and yet Ember looked unharmed while he took a fair bit of damage. He could tell that his attacks were doing something, however minimal it was. Ember's boost gave her a massive advantage but she wasn't invincible. It might be an uphill battle but it was doable. Every second they bought Wade was crucial because if they failed, he couldn't think of anyone who would be able to stop Ember.</p><p>Six more minutes….</p><p>The ghost diva adjusted a knob on her guitar before strumming it loudly. Danny threw up a shield just before the massive sound wave of ghostly energy hit. He felt the massive drain in his energy just to keep the shield up but the follow up drove him to his knees as large cracks formed around his dome. He poured everything he had to maintain his shield as Ember hammered away.</p><p>Good, keep your focus on me. From the corner of his eye, he could see Kim stealthily making her way behind Ember. Whatever she was planning, Danny knew he had to play his part.</p><p>"Is that the only song you know? Man, that's lame." Danny said, pushing through the exhaustion he felt while struggling to maintain his shield. "You probably got dumped back in high school and now you're lashing out."</p><p>He saw the grip on her guitar tighten and the glare in Ember's eyes intensified. "Shut up."</p><p>Five more minutes…</p><p>"Oh yeah, I can tell. It's all in the song." Danny continued. "<em>You will remember my name?</em> How clingy can you get? Even I'd be creeped out."</p><p>If his plan had been to hit a nerve, then he was succeeding. Ember snarled as she poured all of her anger and rage onto him. Danny grit his teeth and pushed everything he had into his barrier. Bits and pieces of his glowing shield started chipping away under the onslaught. The sound waves slammed into him with more ferocity as each angry strum of the guitar battered his shield into oblivion and blasted him backward.</p><p>"How's that for memorable?!" Ember yelled as she furiously closed the distance between them. Now looming over him with her shaking fists, Danny knew he wouldn't be able to defend himself. He was utterly spent and it was taking a monumental effort not to change back into human form in front of a live broadcast. "I'll show you who's lame! All I wanted was for you to notice me Ryan! That's all I ever wanted!"</p><p>Through the haze of fatigue, Danny was a bit startled by her vehement words. She called him Ryan, and was obviously projecting that person in his place. That fact alone was surprising because despite his numerous encounters with ghosts, only a rare few displayed hints of humanity while most have been consumed by their obsessions that they've forgotten who they originally were. Could it be possible…?</p><p>"Tagging in!" Kim stepped in before he could think any further and quickly wrapped her arms around Ember's waist. There was a click and the redhead immediately pulled back as she was able to lock the Specter Deflector on the ghost's waist.</p><p>Ember screeched in pain as the device sent powerful arcs of ectoplasm coursing through her being. Danny had once made the mistake of touching the belt while his parents demonstrated it. It had been like sticking a wet fork in an electric socket but ten times worse. It was a testament to her current state of enhanced power that she was able to withstand such excruciating pain.</p><p>Kim fired a couple of shots while her opponent was distracted. Thankfully, Ember's movements were slightly hindered by the Specter Deflector, granting the heroine some more openings.</p><p>"Are you okay?" Sam ran up to him and helped him up to his feet.</p><p>"Yeah, just battered but hopefully not as bruised."</p><p>"That's good. That's the second time today that you got your ass handed to you." Sam said. "I was kind of worried."</p><p>The slight reprieve from battle was welcome. "Can I ask you something?"</p><p>"Sure."</p><p>"Why'd you lie to Kim?" Danny was quite curious. "You remembered what happened on that roof. Why hide it?"</p><p>Sam bit her lip in thought before responding. "Honestly, because I thought it was admirable. We only met yesterday but I saw that you were trying to help in your own way and I think that's amazing. Plus, I saw how you and Bonnie kept trying to hide it from me so I figured you wanted to keep it hidden for a reason."</p><p>Danny couldn't help but feel a little gratified by her answer. Sure he didn't start ghost hunting for fame or anything but for his deeds to be appreciated was a nice sentiment. "Thanks."</p><p>A pained shout brought him back to the matter at hand. Kim had stumbled due to a misstep on a roll, giving Ember the opening she needed to rip off the belt and strum her guitar. Danny shot forward and tackled Kim aside as the spot she was in a moment ago was obliterated. He didn't have enough strength to carry them both any farther and so they both landed roughly a few feet away.</p><p>"Fun's over kiddos." Ember's form hovered above them, her earlier taunting attitude was gone. What remained was a smoldering anger barely concealed in her glare, mainly directed at Danny. Whatever he said must've cut deep indeed.</p><p>"Sorry to interrupt, but this show has been cancelled." Wade's voice emanated through the speakers. The next thing that followed was a horrible screeching sound that filled the entire colosseum. Everyone covered their ears to block out the sound but it was futile. As quickly as it came, the screeching noise cut off. "Mission accomplished."</p><p>"Cutting it close there, Wade." Kim muttered.</p><p>Confused murmurs began from the crowd as a couple thousand teenagers wondered what the fuck just happened. To Danny's relief, it looked like their plan worked.</p><p>"Where am I?"</p><p>"Are we at a concert?"</p><p>"I don't even like pop rock!"</p><p>"Hey, look, it's that ghost dude and Kim Possible!"</p><p>"Who's that other chick?"</p><p>Ember watched all of this with mounting horror and despair as slowly but surely her flaming blue hair was snuffed out completely and she landed on the stage. "No, no, no."</p><p>She rushed up to the mic and snatched it in shaky hands. "People of Middleton, tell me who you love!"</p><p>The large crowd mostly ignored her in favor of their own confusion.</p><p>"What time is it?"</p><p>"Shit, my parents are going to kill me!"</p><p>Ember's voice took on a desperate quality. "Say it! Say my name!"</p><p>"We don't even know who you are!" An outspoken teen shouted out from the crowd.</p><p>The mic slipped from the ghost's grasp and Ember fell to her knees with a broken look on her face. In that moment, Danny couldn't help but pity the girl, despite the fact that she wanted to brainwash the entire world only a few minutes ago. It was easy to overlook the fact that she was a ghost right now because she looked utterly defeated.</p><p>Danny opened his mouth, not really sure what he wanted to say but felt like he had to say something regardless. However, before he could, Kim had uncapped the thermos and activated it. Ember was sucked into the device with little resistance as all the fire she had from before was extinguished.</p><p>"Whew, difficult but not impossible." Kim said, stowing the thermos away before turning to him. Danny felt her scrutinizing him for a bit and he couldn't help but tense. The chance of her using that thermos on him while he was still drained from the battle was not far off.</p><p>"Thanks." Kim begrudgingly said, averting her gaze.</p><p>Danny grinned and he felt himself relax. "You're welcome. See was that so hard?"</p><p>He couldn't resist poking fun.</p><p>"Don't push your luck." Kim huffed. "Next time I see you causing trouble, you'll be the next ghost trapped in this soup can."</p><p>Danny chuckled before slowly floating away. "Sheesh, tough crowd. Guess I'll see you around."</p><p>With that parting shot, he went invisible before flying off in the direction where Bonnie was waiting.</p><hr/><p>Ember didn't know how long she had been stuck in this stupid thermos and honestly she didn't care. What was the point? She'd lost and history repeated itself without fail. Just like before, no matter how hard she tried to shine, no one ever bothered to remember her.</p><p>
  <em>A gaggle of girls pointed and snickered as she walked past in the hallways</em>
</p><p>"<em>Nice outfit, McKinnon. Didn't know the circus was in town!"</em></p><p>
  <em>Her mother scowled and yelled at her. "Give up this selfish dream you have Amber! I will not have my daughter dressing up as some hussy just so you can play musician. It's time to start thinking of a real job that pays the bills!"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>A handsome boy, Ryan Miller, looked a bit uncomfortable as she walked up to him.</em>
</p><p>"<em>I'm sorry, who are you again?"</em></p><p>She angrily wiped the tears she had unknowingly let fall. At least no one was around to see it. That was her one rule throughout her whole life. She never let anyone see her cry. They could all go fuck themselves for all she cared but no one was allowed to see that their words had been able to cut her.</p><p>Ember felt movement and a clicking sound before her entire form was ejected outward. After a bit of disorientation, she was met with an infinite green void of floating rocks and doorways. Somehow, she had been sent back to the Ghost Zone.</p><p>Without a particular destination in mind, she floated away to perch on a small rocky island. She wasn't in the mood to head back to her lair. There was a good chance her friend Kitty might be waiting for her and she wanted to be alone for now.</p><p>"Hey."</p><p>For fuck's sake. She couldn't even have a moment of peace. Turning around, she came face to face with the Dipstick himself. He was the last person she wanted to see right now. It was his fault in the first place for digging up memories she had long buried.</p><p>"What, came to gloat?" Her tone lacked any of the previous heat she had.</p><p>"Not exactly." He looked uncomfortable floating there as he scratched his head. "Can we talk?"</p><p>"Fuck off, Dipstick." Ember turned away from him and hugged her knees to her chest. "Leave me alone. We don't have anything to talk about."</p><p>"Alright, then just listen." Ember heard him land behind her. He kept a respectable distance and didn't attempt to get any closer. Not like she could stop him anyway if he wanted to. She grudgingly admitted that he lived up to the hype some of the other ghosts kept moaning about, especially Skulker. Even with her massive boost from the fans, the power behind some of Dipstick's attacks were nothing to scoff at and he was able to tank a lot of damage. He was as strong as the rumors made him out to be even if he was only a halfa.</p><p>Didn't mean she wanted to hear whatever bullshit he was about to spew.</p><p>"I wanted to apologize." Ember rolled her eyes and tried to ignore him but he continued on regardless. "We weren't exactly on the same page earlier but I know the past is a sensitive subject for any ghost. I was out of line."</p><p>She snorted but was slightly surprised that he knew about that little fact. It was sort of an unspoken rule in the Ghost Zone to avoid mentioning the times when they were living creatures. Sometimes the incongruent personalities of who a ghost was now versus the past was enough to drive most of them insane. Some were able to handle it and find a sort of stable balance and continue on. Ember, not including herself, could name only a handful of ghosts who could do so.</p><p>"Apology not accepted." Ember growled at him.</p><p>She heard a deep sigh. "Yeah, I figured as much. Thought it was worth a try."</p><p>There was a stretch of silence and Ember thought he had finally left, but no dice.</p><p>"I also wanted to say that maybe next time you go to the human world, don't go mind controlling people or else we're going to have problems."</p><p>"You're threatening me now?"</p><p>"Think of it more as a warning and some if it as advice."</p><p>"What do you mean?"</p><p>"Well, as much as I hate to admit it, I can't be everywhere at once. I'm sure that even as we speak, another ghost is roaming around my home causing all sorts of mischief."</p><p>"So deal with them then."</p><p>"I could, but not all of them are out to hurt others."</p><p>Ember frowned. What was he trying to imply?</p><p>"What I mean is, not all ghosts are out for world domination." Danny explained. "I learned that early on when I first started out. Ran myself too ragged trying to catch every ghost I can. Then I realized that some of them aren't malevolent or dangerous. Funny story, I encountered a ghost who calls himself the Dairy King and he's harmlessly floating around a castle in Wisconsin."</p><p>"You saying I'm not dangerous enough?"</p><p>"You are, but you could choose not to be." Danny said. "I understood what you were trying to do. Don't get me wrong I'll still kick your ass if you pull that stunt again but you could also just not use mind control. Honestly, I don't think you need it."</p><p>Ember's hands curled into fists. "I don't need your pity! Don't lie to my face!"</p><p>"It's not pity and I'm not lying. Don't forget, I'm one of the people who wasn't affected by your little mind control and my best friend made me listen to that song all the way to school. I can give you a hundred percent unbiased opinion and let me tell you it was good. The only reason I was able to make a guess to your past was because I had time to listen to the lyrics themselves."</p><p>Ember's eyes widened at that.</p><p>"You put a lot of effort into that and I heard what you were trying to say. Maybe not to me, but to someone you knew personally."</p><p>Ember finally turned to look at him just as he started floating away. "I may not be your biggest fan in the world but I gotta say; You rock, Ember McLain."</p><p>With that said, he gave her a two finger salute before flying off into the distance. She reached up to her ponytail which had been snuffed out earlier. A small blue flame was now swaying gently above her head like a candle.</p><hr/><p>To say that Mr. Barkin was pissed would be akin to saying the sky was blue. The imposing Vice Principal was pacing in the gymnasium in front of the entire student body assembled in the bleachers.</p><p>"Never in all my years as an educator have I seen such DISRESPECT of authority."</p><p>Nobody dared to refute him or make any noise.</p><p>"As such, starting today, all of you will be attending a MANDATORY detention for the rest of the week."</p><p>A lot of grumbling ensued but was quickly silenced by the man's glare.</p><p>"However, there are a few exceptional students who didn't resort to this behavior." Mr. Barkin announced. "Fenton, Rockwaller, and Mankey! The three of you are excused from these detentions. You're free to go."</p><p>Bonnie felt relieved and she could tell Danny was the same. After all the shit they went through yesterday, they deserved a break.</p><p>Tara pouted as her two friends made their exit. Danny gave the girl a comforting pat on the back while Bonnie mouthed "Hang in there."</p><p>"Um, Mr. B? Kim and I weren't here for all that so maybe we could be excused too?" Ron held up his hand tentatively.</p><p>"Exactly, Stoppable! The two of you weren't here. Tardiness and absence is also an act worthy of detention. You and Possible will be spending a reduced sentence of two days."</p><p>Ron opened his mouth to argue.</p><p>"Want to make that four days, Stoppable?"</p><p>Bonnie saw Kim elbow the blonde idiot before he could stuff more of his foot into his mouth, "Shutting up now."</p><p>The redhead spotted Bonnie and the girl couldn't help but blow her captain a little kiss and a wave. If looks could kill, Kim would've murdered her right on the spot. Whatever, a petty victory was still a victory in Bonnie's books.</p><p>The three students made their way out, tasting the sweet freedom. Josh excused himself from the two, having his own errands to run.</p><p>"Dodged a bullet there." Danny commented. "Think Tara would be mad if we grabbed a bite to eat without her?"</p><p>"Well, she won't be if we just get a take out for her." Bonnie said. "That should appease her."</p><p>"Hey, Bonnie, about the other day-"</p><p>Whatever he was about to say was cut off as a minivan pulled up next to them on the road. The door to the car opened and Sam and Tucker stepped out.</p><p>"Hey you two." Danny greeted the new arrivals while Bonnie and Sam shared a nod. That was as cordial as they would get. The boys shared a fist bump. "Leaving already?"</p><p>"Yup, our parents called and the gas leak was fixed." Tucker said before slumping. "Back to the good old grind."</p><p>"Just wanted to say good bye." Sam shrugged. The goth surprisingly extended a hand toward Bonnie. "It was a short break but it was definitely interesting."</p><p>Danny looked at her expectantly and she huffed before taking the girl's hand.</p><p>"You're alright, Manson."</p><p>"Back at you, Rockwaller."</p><p>"That being said, don't came back any time soon. I'm not sure I can be nice to you all the time."</p><p>Sam laughed a bit at her statement. "Well, if you guys ever decide to swing by Amity Park, don't be strangers."</p><p>The goth turned to Danny and whatever good feelings Bonnie had about the girl were smashed into smithereens as she pulled the boy into a quick hug. Sam whispered something in his ear that made him blush. The girl pulled back and smirked as she walked away with too much sway in her hips to be natural.</p><p>She retracted all nice thoughts she had about the little hussy.</p><p>The two locals watched them drive away. Good riddance, Bonnie thought.</p><p>"What did she say to you?"</p><p>"Nothing, just that our secret is safe with her."</p><p>"Is that all?"</p><p>"Yeah, why?"</p><p>"Could've fooled me with how much you were blushing." Bonnie crossed her arms as she waited for his answer.</p><p>"Oh well, she might have brushed a little too close to my ear is all." Danny scratched his cheek in embarrassment.</p><p>Oh, that bitch. She was lucky she was out of arms reach because Bonnie would happily wring her neck for that stunt. The nerve of that girl.</p><p>"Anyway, I was just about to ask if you wanted to grab a smoothie with me before heading home."</p><p>Bonnie considered it. "Fine, you owe me one anyway. You're buying and I want the largest size they have."</p><p>"Harsh but fair."</p><p>Bonnie grabbed his hand and led the way to the nearest mall. She knew this was his way of making up for the other day. He didn't need to say it but she appreciated the gesture all the same. Maybe her mom was right. Sometimes she didn't need to force the situation. Small opportunities like these happen every day and all she needed to do was watch out for them.</p><p>But that didn't mean she couldn't give a gentle nudge every now and then.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Men Of Mystery</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Not enough lettuce, too much salsa and don't get me started on those beans!" Ned, the manager at Bueno Nacho, berated Kim as she tried to prepare another customer's order. This was the third time for today that she had apparently messed up a taco according to her boss.</p><p>"Sorry." Kim grumbled as she began making a new one. This job looked so much easier at first glance.</p><p>Ned pointed over at Ron who was diligently sending food out one after another with little effort. "You could learn a lot from your fellow employee. Now make another taco combo set on the double, you have three new orders coming in after that."</p><p>Ned walked away with his clipboard that she wanted to break in half. Kim groaned mentally in her head and got to work, painstakingly measuring the amount of ingredients before passing them over to Ron to send them out. An older middle aged couple glared at her incompetence as they pointedly kept looking at their watch while waiting for their food. The worst part was this wasn't even the busiest part of the day. Customers filtered in but not enough to create huge lines. She shuddered just thinking about it.</p><p>She could get through this. Only two weeks and she could buy her new green leather jacket from Club Banana.</p><p>"C'mon, KP. Pick up the pace!" Ron snapped his fingers impatiently. "We got customers waiting."</p><p>His attitude was definitely not helping her mood. "First of all, I'm moving as fast as I can. Second, I thought you didn't even want this job!"</p><p>"I didn't know what I wanted Kim." Ron dramatically put his Bueno Nacho hat on his chest. "I was lost until I found my true calling. I belong to Bueno Nacho!"</p><p>With that exclamation, he sauntered off, probably to once again convince Ned to put his Naco on the menu.</p><p>"Two weeks to jacket, two weeks to jacket." Kim told herself, leaning her forehead on the soda dispenser.</p><p>"I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"</p><p>Kim was startled out of her funk and saw Danny grinning at her from the other side of the counter.</p><p>"Should I leave you and the soda machine alone for a bit before I place my order?" Her friend teasingly wiggled his eyebrows.</p><p>"You're a riot." Kim replied sarcastically. Inwardly, she was glad to see another friendly face. Her new part time job was less glamorous than she would've hoped. She thought dragging Ron along for the ride would make things less monotonous and irritating. That plan backfired on her really quick. "What brings you here?"</p><p>Danny shrugged. "My turn to pick the place to eat and to my utter disbelief, I have been craving that monstrosity Ron calls a Naco."</p><p>Kim made a face. "How could you guys eat that stuff?"</p><p>"Hey, give the guy some credit, he knows his Bueno Nacho." Danny said, glancing past Kim. "Dude must be in heaven. He gets to see all the backroom stuff we mortals on this side of the counter can only dream of."</p><p>"More like a nightmare." Kim muttered, but Danny laughed as he caught it.</p><p>"Careful, I might just have to report this insubordination."</p><p>"You wouldn't dare."</p><p>Danny's grin took on a mischievous glint and Kim's expression morphed into horror as he called out to her manager. "Hey Ned!"</p><p>The older teen in question turned as Kim held her breath until Danny spoke again.</p><p>"Liking the new tie, dude."</p><p>"Why thank you, Danny. It's a clip-on." Ned was pleased to demonstrate the easy release of his accessory. "Quick removal in case of grease fires."</p><p>When Ned turned around to get back to his regular duties, Kim reached over the counter and smacked Danny on the chest. "You jerk! Don't scare me like that."</p><p>"Your expression was worth it."</p><p>Kim huffed in mock anger but she knew Danny would never do anything mean on purpose. She'd been learning a lot of things about him lately. The Ember fiasco last week had opened her eyes to a new side of him. His calm and confident demeanor during the whole situation was a jarring contrast from his usual carefree and laid back attitude. It was clear to anyone that Danny had been in his element that night. He liked to downplay his involvement after the craziness was good and done because apparently they found him stuffed in a utility closet and he had been trapped throughout the whole fight. He said he tried to distract a bouncer from coming into the control room where the communicator was plugged into and was swiftly man-handled. He was pretty embarrassed about the whole thing but they were quick to assure him that it was because of his plan that they succeeded.</p><p>That and the timely intervention of Phantom…</p><p>"Uh, hello?" Bonnie stomped over to the counter and poked Danny in the ribs. "You were supposed to be ordering food."</p><p>"What, I can't make small talk?" Danny rubbed his side.</p><p>Bonnie turned her attention to Kim and her smile turned wicked. "Oh hey, Kim. Love the new outfit. Really suits you."</p><p>It was Danny's turn to poke Bonnie in the side. "Be nice."</p><p>Kim was about to make a snide retort of her own when she spotted her boss observing her from the side with his clipboard at the ready. Of course he chose now of all times to pay attention to what she was doing. She must've had at least two strikes already. Another would mean her pay would be docked an hour, which meant she had to play nice. Right now, she was an employee and Bonnie was a customer.</p><p>"Welcome to Bueno Nacho, how may I help you?" Kim put on the biggest and fakest smile as she could.</p><p>"Oh wow, I could get used to this." Bonnie looked absolutely delighted. "Hmm, what are your low fat options? How mild is the diablo sauce? I don't like any tomatoes so can you be a dear and take those out? I'd really appreciate it."</p><p>Kim answered all of the girl's infuriating questions which she knew were nothing more than attempts to get her riled up. Her paycheck was not getting docked just because of Bonnie. With the image of her soon to be green leather jacket in mind, she resisted the urge to lean over the counter and wipe the smirk off the girl's face. She'd pay her back for this during cheer practice tomorrow.</p><p>Thankfully, Danny stepped in. "Okay, you've had your fun Bon. I'm sure Kim has better things to do than cater to our outrageous concerns."</p><p>"Hey, I'll have you know that my concerns are valid!" Bonnie insisted.</p><p>Danny rolled his eyes. "I'll have a nacho and taco combo set, grande sized. Tara will have the grilled chicken salad the same as Bonnie with some churros."</p><p>Bonnie pouted at Danny. "Spoilsport." She began to head back to their shared table where Tara was sitting but not before getting one last dig in. "But I was serious about that tomato thing. If I see even a single slice of tomato, I'm seriously going to complain."</p><p>"Sorry about that. She really has a mouth on her, huh?" Danny said as he paid for their order.</p><p>"Tell me about it." Kim rang up their bill and handed him the receipt.</p><p>Danny then took out an extra five dollars out of his pocket and was about to put it in the tip jar before Kim grabbed his hand. "Danny, you don't have to do that."</p><p>"It's no problem." Danny smiled at her reassuringly. "I want to. Think of it as a small apology for the stunt I pulled earlier."</p><p>Kim's heart skipped a beat as he gave her that earnest smile. Another thing she was beginning to learn about him, it seemed. When she first met him, he was always…distracted. But nowadays, he smiled a lot more. She liked seeing him smile.</p><p>She let go of his hand, albeit reluctantly. "Thanks. That's real sweet of you."</p><p>He nodded. "Don't mention it."</p><p>She watched him head over to their table and slid into the booth beside Bonnie before preparing their order. They began talking about something she was too far away to hear but something about Danny's comment triggered a memory of not too long ago.</p><p>"<em>Where's that other mouthy girl and her ghostly boy toy?"</em></p><p>Ember had asked her that in the middle of their fight. In the heat of the moment, Kim didn't really understand what the ghost meant. Why did she say that? Back at the school, she only fought Phantom before fleeing once the authorities started to arrive. But then again, the video she watched only covered the first half of the fight. There was another part of it she didn't see since it took place on the roof…</p><p>But if that was the case, someone else had to have been present during their scuffle. Kim knew that she shouldn't take a ghost's words at face value but it had been thrown out so casually. She couldn't just dismiss them because certain things did seem to line up. Sam said she found herself in the hallway and the other two people not affected by the spell were boys. That left only one person the ghost was talking about and Kim didn't like the implications.</p><p>Somehow, Bonnie was connected to Phantom. However, Danny also mentioned that the two of them were in the classroom together during the whole event. Something wasn't right and this whole mess left Kim with more questions than answers. She had to get to the bottom of this.</p><p>Ned clearing his throat snapped her out of her thoughts. "Daydreaming, Ms. Possible?"</p><p>Kim had been so distracted by her train of thought that she didn't realize her finger was still on the button of the cheese dispenser. Thick and gooey cheese overflowed from the order of nachos, down the counter top until it left a small puddle on the floor.</p><p>"Whoops?"</p><p>She was promptly handed a mop without another word.</p><hr/><p>"I take back everything I said earlier, we should eat here more often." Bonnie grinned in amusement as she watched Kim flounder in her new part time job. "Dinner and a show."</p><p>Tara also watched but was more sympathetic to the redhead's plight. "It's her first day, cut her some slack Bonnie."</p><p>"Are you kidding? I am going to milk this."</p><p>"You're just mad because Kim wasn't impressed by the new routine you suggested for cheerleading practice."</p><p>Bonnie put a hand over her heart and pretended to be hurt. "Do I really seem that petty?"</p><p>"Yes." Both Tara and Danny said without missing a beat.</p><p>"Alright you got me there." Bonnie admitted with a shrug. "It's just nice to see little Miss Perfect taken down a few pegs."</p><p>Tara sent Danny an exasperated look to which he responded with a shrug. The two girls have always been at each other's throats for as long as they could remember. No one could pinpoint when their little rivalry started but Tara would bet that Bonnie instigated it. She loved her best friend to death but the other girl's pride was definitely a problem at times. Soon enough it became routine for them. Bonnie would start something and Kim would respond until the two figured out who "won" in their little battles.</p><p>Rinse and repeat.</p><p>Honestly, the whole rivalry thing sounded exhausting. Tara would much rather focus on other fun things in life. One of which was heading their way.</p><p>"Holla, senior and senioritas!" Ron greeted them and Tara giggled at his adorkable enthusiasm. "I hope we're all having a muy bueno day today!" He set down their orders with a slight flourish.</p><p>"Someone's in a good mood." Danny said. "Did you finally convince corporate to put your Naco on the menu?"</p><p>"Not yet, but soon they shall see the light in the form of cheesy and beefy deliciousness. It's only a matter of time."</p><p>"Ugh, I'm trying to eat here." Bonnie complained, rifling through her salad in search of tomatoes. "Go away Stoppable."</p><p>"T-Thanks for bringing our food over Ron." Tara smiled at the freckled teen. Damn it, why did she stutter? Thankfully, he didn't seem to notice.</p><p>"It's my pleasure!" Ron gave an exaggerated salute before heading back to his post. Tara watched him leave from the corner of her eye before turning back to her salad.</p><p>"What was that?" Danny looked pointedly at her, a small grin starting to form.</p><p>Busted. Got to deflect.</p><p>"What was what?" Tara played dumb and stuffed a forkful of greens and shredded chicken into her mouth.</p><p>"Thanks for bringing me my salad Ron. You're so dreamy and hot with the way you fold burritos." Danny spoke in a poor approximation of her voice, put a hand on his forehead and pretended to swoon.</p><p>"I did not say that!" Tara's face grew hot in embarrassment.</p><p>"Didn't need to. It's written all over your face." Danny's chuckle was cut short as a foot connected with his leg. "Ow!"</p><p>"You're crushing on Stoppable?" Bonnie looked genuinely aghast. "Danny, I think our best friend's an impostor."</p><p>"Shush up, you guys!" Tara hissed and quickly made sure no one heard. "Okay, so what if I am? He's sweet and funny. What's so bad about that?"</p><p>"Don't forget total weirdo."</p><p>"I prefer to think of it as quirky."</p><p>"Please, talk some sense into her." Bonnie turned to Danny beside her.</p><p>"Hey, Ron's a good guy. Maybe not the sharpest tool in the shed but Tara could do much worse." Danny defended. Unfolding his soft taco and dumping the contents of his nachos into it before folding it up again. Grease, cheese, and sauce started to spill from the sides as he picked up his sloppy creation.</p><p>Bonnie made a disgusted face as he took a bite out of his food. "She could also do a lot better!"</p><p>Danny didn't bother to continue the argument in favor of eating his food. He dabbed his face with a napkin to wipe off some of the excess grease. At least he wasn't a total slob. Before he could take another bite, something caught his attention as he raised his hand. "Hey Josh, over here!"</p><p>She and Bonnie turned just in time to see the rather handsome blonde approach their table. "Mind if I crash this little party?"</p><p>"No prob." Tara slid over on the couch to make room. He smiled gratefully before setting his own tray of food down.</p><p>"What's with the fancy digs?" Danny pointed out his rather crisp attire which consisted of a shirt and tie combo finished off with a black vest.</p><p>"Let's just say Kim's not the only one who picked up a new job." Josh said, sipping on his soda. "I'm waiting tables at the new Italian joint a few streets up."</p><p>"Angelo's? Ugh, I knew we should've gone there instead." Bonnie complained, giving Danny a pout.</p><p>"Hey, we all agreed that it was my turn to pick the place. Did I whine about that last salad bar we went to?"</p><p>"No." Bonnie petulantly admitted. "I just heard that they served some of the best ravioli in town. Jessica couldn't shut up about it and it got me curious."</p><p>"You better believe it." Josh chuckled. "You have no idea how many orders of that stuff I've had to take today."</p><p>"Don't listen to him Bonnie!" Danny dramatically held out his arm in front of the girl. "He's been forced to advertise his new employer's place of business even during his off hours. Look at the poor bastard, they've already laid claim on his soul in exchange for raviolis!"</p><p>"Damn, you've caught me red-handed Fenton!" Josh replied in an equally dramatic fashion. "But, what can I do? They have me tangled up in their machinations like spaghetti on a fork!"</p><p>The two boys then broke into laughter and Tara couldn't help but role her eyes at their antics. Mom was right. Boys didn't grow up. They just grow bigger as time passes. The conversation thankfully flowed back down to regular school stuff. Bonnie couldn't resist grilling him about his break-up with Kim, hoping to get another leg up on her rival. Suffice to say that the girl was disappointed when Josh casually told them that the two of them just had different interests and parted on good terms shortly after the dance.</p><p>Still, it was nice seeing Danny socialize again. It was hard to believe that only a month ago, Danny had been cut off from the rest of the world as a result of the burden that had been forced on him.</p><p>Tara remembered a time before his accident and their little spat. Back then, although he never noticed it, Danny had been one of the popular kids in school. His easy-going nature made him approachable and it didn't hurt that he was able to score the winning soccer goal during the finals in their freshman year. She giggled to herself as she remembered the huge celebration afterwards. Danny sang "We are the champions!" until his voice went hoarse and wouldn't stop even though Bonnie had dumped a whole glass of soda on his head in annoyance.</p><p>Good times.</p><p>"What's so funny?" Danny asked.</p><p>Tara shook her head. "Not telling~"</p><p>The three other teens shrugged and continued talking for a few more minutes before Josh checked his watch. "Sorry to cut and run but my lunch break's almost over."</p><p>"Catch you later dude." The two boys shared a fist bump before the handsome blonde left.</p><p>"When did you two get so chummy?" Bonnie asked. Tara was also curious since as far as she knew, the two boys hardly ever spoke to each other before.</p><p>"I think it was a few days before the dance." Danny recalled, finishing the last of his Naco. "Ran into him while I was gathering up my courage to face you guys again. Gave me a good pep talk. After that, well we just sort of clicked."</p><p>"Oooh, kinky." Bonnie teased.</p><p>"Not like that!" Danny sputtered, almost choking on his soda. The two girls shared a laugh.</p><p>"Oh relax, I was just kidding." Bonnie slapped his shoulder playfully. "It was just a surprise that's all. You were pretty much a brooding loner up until now."</p><p>"I wasn't that bad." Danny said. He turned to Tara. "Was I?"</p><p>"No offence Danny, but you did kind of give off broody vibes."</p><p>"Don't worry, you're our little broody ghosty boy." Bonnie pinched one of his cheeks, much to his annoyance.</p><p>Tara hid a smile behind her hand as Danny tried to pry Bonnie off. She noticed that her best friend has been getting rather handsy with him as of late. Ever since she got hypnotized, still a weird experience by the way, the two had grown closer in a subtle way. They gave her the scoop of what happened with Ember but Tara felt Bonnie in particular had left a few details out. However, the blonde was able to put two and two together whenever her friend scowled at the mention of a particular goth girl.</p><p>So another girl finally lit a fire under Bonnie's ass and showed her that Danny was not completely unaware of the opposite sex. Oh she knew Bonnie had it bad for Danny since middle school and personally Tara was rooting for her. She knew that they could be good for one another. But also, she would respect Danny's decision if he ever did date another girl as long as she made him happy.</p><p>"Okay you two, stop flirting." Tara couldn't resist stirring the pot a little. "The movie starts in twenty minutes and we better get going."</p><p>Their beet red faces and fervent denials only made the blonde laugh.</p><p>Too easy.</p><hr/><p>Kim was a frustrated mess as she packed the necessary things she needed for her new mission. Stupid Ron and his burrito folding. He also had the nerve to accuse her of being jealous that he was succeeding at something, which totally wasn't the case! It was just his attitude that drove her up the wall. Ever since he got promoted two days ago, he let all the corporate power go to his head. Ugh, now she had to fly over to Wisconsin alone to stop another of Drakken's schemes.</p><p>
  <em>Ding Dong!</em>
</p><p>"Tweebs, could you get the door!" Kim yelled from her room. She was kind of in a hurry.</p><p>"We can't!" came the reply.</p><p>"Just get the door, I'm in a rush!"</p><p>"Do you want the house to explode!?"</p><p>The doorbell rang again.</p><p>"Grr, fine!" Kim was not in the mood for this. The twins just had to be messing around with explosives at the moment. She stomped down the stairs, half-way dressed in her mission pants and her normal wear. She pulled the front door open with more force than strictly necessary. "Yes?"</p><p>"Is this a bad time?" Danny caught the rather intense look on her face. On his shoulder was his school bag and he held a history book under one arm. Kim wanted to smack herself. She forgot to cancel today's tutoring session with all of the shit she'd been dealing with recently.</p><p>Kim took a calming breath. No need to take her anger out on the guy. "I'm really sorry, Danny. Can we reschedule?"</p><p>"No worries. We're pretty much catching up on the lessons anyway." Danny waved it off. He then stowed away his book back in his bag, not needing it anymore. "So, where's Ron? You guys going to meet up somewhere for your mission?"</p><p>"He's busy." Kim's expression turned sour. "The new Bueno Nacho Manager has more important things to do."</p><p>A look of understanding crossed his face. "Well, I'm sure he'll come around soon enough. He learned his lesson during his temporary hairdo phase, right?"</p><p>"I guess so." Ron does get carried away with whatever it is that catches his attention most of the time.</p><p>"I bet you that when you come back from your mission he'll be the first one to apologize." Danny confidently stated.</p><p>Kim tried for a half-hearted smile. "I'll hold you to that."</p><p>"So, where are you headed this time? Europe?"</p><p>"A little bit more local. I have to fly over to Wisconsin to take care of Drakken and whatever it is he plans to do with a stolen laser drill…"</p><p>The reaction he gave at the mention of Wisconsin was immediate but subtle. Danny's expression tightened and a sudden alarm registered in his eyes before coming back into a neutral state. If Kim hadn't been paying attention, she would have missed it entirely. What on Earth?</p><p>"Trouble in the Midwest, huh?" Danny tried to keep his tone casual but there was an edge to it as well.</p><p>"Yeah, just the usual sitch. Nothing I haven't dealt with before."</p><p>He nodded absently, but she could tell his mind had gone elsewhere for the moment. Kim's eyes narrowed a fraction as she scrutinized the teen in front of her. The quiet shift in his mood was bizarre. One moment he was his usual self but now he seemed troubled. Questions floated about her mind as she remembered more instances of Danny's strange behavior ever since they became friends.</p><p>Kim's investigation about the rooftop incident during the week yielded minimal results. Between her new job and her regular school duties, she hadn't been able to spend as much time on that particular endeavor. She had tried to coax some answers out of Bonnie during practice but the girl never gave her a straight answer other than what she and Danny already said before. However, the girl may have unwittingly given her another lead to follow and it was standing right in front of her.</p><p>"Hey, if Ron's not here, maybe I could fill in for today."</p><p>The suggestion made Kim do a double take as if she didn't hear him correctly. "Come again?"</p><p>Danny couldn't meet her eyes. "You guys handle your missions as a team right?"</p><p>"Yes, but Danny, this isn't fun and games." Kim told him. "Ron and I have been doing this for a while now so we know the usual dangers to expect but it does get dicey at times."</p><p>"Good, all the more reason you need someone to watch your back."</p><p>"Wade, can be my look out."</p><p>"Can Wade get you out of a mess if you get knocked unconscious or trapped?"</p><p>"Danny, where is this coming from?" Kim crossed her arms and looked at him expectantly. His sudden insistence on accompanying her on this mission was disconcerting.</p><p>"I just think it would be better if you weren't handling this alone." Danny pushed. "You're amazing and I see you guys on the news almost every week, but don't forget that it's Team Possible doing all that stuff." He put specific emphasis on the word team.</p><p>Kim conceded that he had a point but she also couldn't help but feel like she was missing something. The concern in his eyes was genuine, but the intensity of it was startling. He only reacted this way once he heard her destination. Something about Wisconsin scared him to the point he wanted to keep her safe. But what could a teen whose parents hunt and study ghosts for a living be frightened of?</p><p>Only one way to find out it seemed. "Okay."</p><p>His relief was palpable but before he could speak, Kim held up a hand. "But, there's going to be some ground rules. You follow my lead, alright? This isn't like some bouncer who'll rough you up a bit. These guys are criminals and won't pull their punches."</p><p>"Got it." He nodded.</p><p>Kim made him wait in the living room while she dashed upstairs to finish changing into her mission outfit and handed one of Ron's spare ones to Danny. While he got ready, the redhead took out her communicator and called up the other member of their team. "What's up Kim? Haven't left yet?"</p><p>"Slight change of plan, Wade. Someone's tagging along."</p><p>"Did Ron change his mind?"</p><p>"No, it's Danny." Kim bit her lip as she began having second thoughts about bringing him along. "Could you do me a favor? Search for any ghost sightings or activity in Wisconsin. Any at all would do, even if it was just some stupid haunted house story."</p><p>"What for?" Wade asked.</p><p>"Let's call it a hunch for now." Kim said, cryptically.</p><p>"Alright, I'll get back to you when I have something."</p><p>"Please and thank you." Kim switched off the gadget at the same time she heard the door to the bathroom open.</p><p>Danny stepped around into the living room outfitted in the Team Possible mission outfit. Whereas the black shirt was a little loose around Ron's lanky frame, it fit Danny's physique a little better and he seemed to have no trouble moving in the cargo pants. Kim was once again reminded that before his accident, Danny was one of the school athletes back in the day. Judging by the definition of his body under the mission shirt, he still kept himself in shape.</p><p>"So, how are we getting to Wisconsin?"</p><p>"Wade booked us a ride." Kim began to lead them out of the house. As the two teens hailed a cab to get to Wade's designated mode of transport for the day, she vowed to keep an eye on Danny. Both to keep him out of harm's way and maybe even get to the bottom of certain things. She had a theory that sounded completely absurd even in her own mind but until she could find even a crumb of evidence, she'd keep it close to the chest for now.</p><p>"Also, why do my pockets smell like old cheese?"</p><hr/><p>Danny touched down without issue thanks to his parachute. The adrenaline pumping through him was a familiar sensation during his nightly patrols but skydiving in his human form was a novel experience. "That was awesome."</p><p>Kim also landed without issue a few feet from him. "Not bad for a first timer. You sure you haven't done this before?"</p><p>"Nope, but I wouldn't mind doing it again." Danny told her. Technically, it was the truth. He never jumped out of a plane on purpose. There was that time Vlad had tricked him and his mom on a fake vacation, but that was an emergency.</p><p>"Well, getting here is the easy part." Kim motioned for him to follow as she made her way to the edge of the building. Also, fun fact, the "building" they were on was actually a giant block of Wisconsin Swiss cheese. Most people would think it was a cheese covered building. Okay, so he got bored on the flight over and read the in-flight magazine, big deal. She found an entry point using one of the many large openings dotting the entire structure that led deeper into a network of tunnels. Danny followed, not as gracefully as his companion but at least he didn't make too much noise on the way down. He figured they wanted to be stealthy for this. Crouching low in the tunnels, the two navigated themselves toward the center of the cheese.</p><p>Danny had to constantly remind himself not to resort to using his powers, especially now. Things would undoubtedly be easier for him if he could just go ghost right here but that would cause even more problems for him down the line. For one thing, Kim was already suspicious of him it seemed. Bonnie mentioned that the redhead had been prodding her about the rooftop incident the past few days and his attitude earlier probably didn't help matters. It wouldn't be hard to connect the dots if Phantom just happened to show up in Wisconsin. However, Danny had good reasons for not letting her travel here alone.</p><p>After all, he couldn't afford to let Vlad anywhere near Kim. There was no telling what he would do and being the opportunistic bastard that he was, he wouldn't let an opening like this slide. Spreading his honed ghost sense as far as he could, Danny couldn't find a single trace of a ghostly presence anywhere near at the moment. They were safe for now.</p><p>
  <em>Not on my watch, Fruit-loop.</em>
</p><p>Kim slowed her pace to a stop and held up a hand prompting him to do the same. She gestured ahead of them where Danny could see lights and they could also hear a faint bit of commotion. They must've been close to their objective. The redhead then reached into her bag for her grappling hook gun disguised as a hair dryer.</p><p>"Okay, this is where we split up for now." Kim told him. "I'll go on ahead and disable the laser. If I can get to it before they notice me, we can be in and out with no fuss."</p><p>"Sounds good. So that means I'll be the distraction?"</p><p>Kim shook her head. "No, you'll be staying here as my lookout. If anything goes wrong, I want you to get out of here and call for help."</p><p>"That sounds swell for me but I can't just leave you here." Danny frowned, not liking this plan. She was being frustratingly stubborn about coddling him it seemed.</p><p>"I'll be fine but I can't focus on the task at hand if I have to protect you." Kim said. She placed a hand over his and her gaze softened. "I appreciate you worrying over me Danny, I really do but it works both ways. You don't have much fighting experience and frankly, a distraction won't do much good since they'll be looking for me regardless. Please, for me, just hang back for now."</p><p>Danny bit down on his tongue before he almost blurted out that yes, he could fight. It was annoying but everything she said made perfect sense from her perspective. He was the guy who got beat up by a bouncer according to their fake cover story and to deny it now would open up questions he wasn't ready to answer. In the end, he gave her a reluctant nod.</p><p>Kim gave his hand a squeeze and a reassuring smile. "Be back in a sec."</p><p>She then darted off ahead, leaving him with the backpack and the communicator. It didn't take long for her to vanish from his line of sight. He slung the backpack securely on both shoulders and crept along further into the tunnel once a few minutes had passed. At the very least, he wanted to get a good view of the situation.</p><p>He took a slight detour from where Kim left and veered a good distance to the right. The sounds coming from the inside was getting louder now and once he reached the edge, Danny was able to catch a glimpse down below. In the center of the large space in front of him was the giant laser drill operating at full power. The bright energy emitting from the large machine was enough to illuminate the interior. Next to it was another machine, circular in structure and quite large. The ground level was littered with crates in large haphazard stacks. It was apparent that this was set up in a rush judging from the open wooden boxes and large messy wires strewn about in their own organized chaos.</p><p>Despite the large set-up, there was one jarring problem. It was too quiet. Aside from the constant hum of the giant laser, there was little other background noise. For an operation as big as this, they would at least need several other people running maintenance, right?</p><p>Danny grabbed a pair of binoculars from the backpack and scanned the area for any sign of Kim. He had to give it to her, the girl knew how to move without being seen. But then he caught a subtle movement to the North end of the space below. He trained his binoculars toward the spot where he saw a glimpse of two figures in ready positions. Before he could even think about doing anything, it was already too late.</p><p>Kim had unknowingly walked into a trap.</p><p>Dozens of figures clad in red sprung from their positions, staffs crackling with electricity held at the ready. From the way they were positioned in a loose circle, he deduced that the lone person amongst the goons must be Kim who was caught in the middle. A lithe figure, better hidden than the rest, dropped down in front of the redhead. Danny was too far away to get a good look at them but judging from the green outfit and the glowing palms, that must've been the infamous Shego.</p><p>"Fucking fantastic." Danny cursed as he watched the goons drag Kim away without a fight. They were taking her to some sort of mechanical constraint where a man in mostly blue scientist garb waited. So there's the Dr. Drakken he's heard so much about. "Whelp, sorry Kim, but cutting and running isn't really my style."</p><p>He fished out the communicator and turned it on. "Hey, Wade. We have a little situation here."</p><p>"I kinda guessed since you're the one who's calling me right now." The ten year-old said.</p><p>"Great, does this happen a lot?"</p><p>"Once or twice the bad guys get lucky."</p><p>"So, since Ron's not here, can you remind me what he usually does on these missions?"</p><p>"Uuuuh…"</p><p>Danny gave him a deadpan stare as the kid fumbled for an answer.</p><p>"Well you see, it's kind of hard to describe what Ron does exactly." Wade scratched his cheek bashfully. "He brings a certain kind of unpredictability during the missions. If Ron doesn't know what he's about to do next, how can the bad guys know?"</p><p>"You're telling me he just wings it?" Danny pinched the bridge of his nose.</p><p>"Pretty much."</p><p>"Alright, different approach." Danny said, he peered over the side once more to take stock of the new developments. Kim was now restrained while the Drakken guy was pacing back and forth, making dramatic gestures. Was…was he doing a monologue? Anyways, everybody else had gone back to their respective duties it seemed. The Shego woman was now making her way up to, what Danny assumed was, the control panel for the laser drill. "I'll call you back."</p><p>The makings of a plan started to form as he recalled the moment Kim fell into the trap laid for her. For a brief moment, Kim had been ready to go down swinging but it wasn't until Shego appeared that she realized the fight wouldn't be in her favor. From what he could guess, Kim could take on dozens of goons no problem but only if Shego was taken out of the equation.</p><p>Danny scrounged around the backpack for a specific item. Fortunately, his fingers grasped the tiny container he was looking for. With this, and a little bit of luck, he might be able to pull it off.</p><p>"Well, here goes nothing."</p><hr/><p>Kim struggled against her metal restraints to no avail. She was annoyed with herself for falling for such an obvious ploy. She should've known something was up when she didn't spot the usual amount of goons patrolling. Her head wasn't in the game and even now she could only worry about her friend, still thankfully hidden up above. Hopefully, he'd taken her advice and called for back-up.</p><p>"Don't bother resisting, Kim Possible!" Dr. Drakken couldn't resist gloating. "In under an hour, my laser drill will reach molten magma which will then be used to level the entire state of Wisconsin, which I will then rename: Drakkenville!"</p><p>"Your laser drill?" Kim raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Didn't you just steal that a few days ago? For a mad scientist, you sure steal other people's inventions a lot. Why can't you make your own stuff?"</p><p>Drakken scowled at her. "It's called outsourcing. Why make it myself when I can have others do it for me?"</p><p>"Sounds pretty lazy to me."</p><p>"Bah, your attempts to get under my skin is pointless seeing as you're incapable of stopping me this time!"</p><p>Okay, point to him on that one.</p><p>"Shego! How much longer until we breach the crust?" Drakken yelled up at the woman.</p><p>Through the PA system, Shego replied. "About that, we got a little problem."</p><p>"What now?!"</p><p>"The laser's losing power for some reason. Something's wrong with one of our generators."</p><p>"Then go fix it!" Drakken replied petulantly.</p><p>"I'm working here. Unlike some people, I'm actually doing something right now."</p><p>Drakken growled at the little dig from his own subordinate. "Excuse me, I have to go make a scene."</p><p>He stalked off in the direction of the supposed problem, giving Kim a few minutes to herself. The mad scientist was so confident that he didn't bother posting a couple of guards to watch her. She wriggled once more in an attempt to loosen the binds somehow. Off in the distance, she could hear Drakken yelling at a few of his henchmen. If she could only reach the release button a few inches away from her…</p><p>"Did someone order an escape?" A familiar voice spoke. She was both glad and alarmed to hear it. Danny soon appeared in her line of sight, creeping along the edge of cover and looking a bit winded. "Note to self, cutting through thick military grade cable is harder than it looks."</p><p>"What are you doing? I told you to get help!" Kim hissed at him.</p><p>Danny shrugged. "I'm a bad listener and you can yell at me all you want on the way home but first, let's get you out of here."</p><p>"Fine, it's the button over there." Kim couldn't stay too mad at him. They had bigger things to worry about at the moment. The metal clamps soon gave way with a clunk sound. Kim wasted no time in dragging him out of sight. "Thanks."</p><p>"That's what I'm here for." Danny said. "Listen, I have a plan, but you're not going to like it."</p><p>"Sounds, interesting." An equally familiar but less friendly voice said above them. Shego landed a few feet behind them with her smirk in place and glowing green hands at the ready. "Mind letting me in on it?"</p><p>Kim assumed a fighting stance and placed herself in front of Danny. "Go disable the laser drill, I'll take care of this."</p><p>"Oh, what's this?" Shego trained her eyes on Danny and gave him a quick once over. "Finally traded up your sidekick, I see. Good choice Kimmy, at least this one's a bit easier on the eyes than the blonde buffoon."</p><p>"I'm more of a temp." Danny butted in. "The job's pretty dangerous but the benefits are great."</p><p>"He's a talkative one too." Shego noted.</p><p>Kim didn't take her eyes off the enemy ready to pounce at any moment. "Why are you still here?"</p><p>"Like I said, I have a plan." Danny whispered back. "This is going to sound crazy but I'll distract her and you go handle the drill."</p><p>"Don't be stupid! She's dangerous."</p><p>"Trust me."</p><p>There it was again. It was the same as the Ember incident. The sudden unyielding determination and focus in his voice was unmistakable. Kim knew how insane it would be to pit Danny against a criminal who was as skilled as Shego but he wouldn't be saying this if he didn't have an ace up his sleeve. Hoping that she wouldn't come to regret this later, she gave him a nod of agreement.</p><p>"Talking time is over kiddos." Shego crouched. "The fun starts now!"</p><p>The villainess leapt into the air with Kim as her target but was intercepted when Danny tackled her from the side. The two of them fell hard in a tangle of limbs. Shego hadn't been expecting him to interfere in their usual one on ones so it was a perfect opening for her to move.</p><p>"Go, I got this!" Danny called out.</p><p>"New boy wants to play." Shego said, getting up. "Fine, I could use a warm up."</p><p>Kim hesitated for a second but decided to leave it in his hands for now. If she could do her part quick enough, she would be able to take over from there. She just hoped he could hold out until then.</p><hr/><p>"Let's see what you've got sidekick."</p><p>Danny ducked a pair of green energy blasts his opponent threw his way. The greenish hue was vaguely familiar in a way but he couldn't afford to be distracted with idle thoughts. Step one, distract Shego while Kim accomplished the mission was a success. Now for step two: Survive.</p><p>He hastily dodged a quick follow up as she decided to bring the fight to close quarters. Her sharp nails grazed his cheek, but thankfully nothing else as he managed to move his head out of the way. However, he failed to account for a roundhouse kick to his ribs that knocked the wind right out of him. He threw a wide punch of his own but she easily blocked it with her forearm and kicked him square in the stomach.</p><p>Danny doubled over and tried to create some distance between them. Damn, she packed a punch.</p><p>"Tired already?" Shego tutted. "Does new boy have a boo-boo?"</p><p>Her nails weren't the only thing that was sharp it seemed.</p><p>"Not bad for a woman in her late thirties." Danny quipped back, appearing more confident than he felt. "Better watch out, menopause is right around the corner."</p><p>Shego's mocking grin faltered into a scowl. Her glowing green hands burned just a little brighter. "Care to repeat that?"</p><p>"Hard of hearing too? Yikes." Danny continued. That's right lady, keep your anger directed at me. Off in the distance, he could hear sounds of bodies hitting the floor as well as Drakken yelling angrily. "Mom always said never to make fun of older women."</p><p>Shego was on him in an instant and the only thing Danny could think of was: dodge, move, block, and pain. Oh there was a lot of pain. He fought back as best as he could under the circumstances but Shego was too good. He was able to catch her by surprise earlier but now she was focused entirely on him.</p><p>Man, not being able to use his powers sucked.</p><p>In a display of amazing agility and flexibility on her part, Shego was able to flip into the air and use her thighs to wrap around his head. She leveraged the momentum from her flip and slammed him into the ground. Danny now found himself gasping for air as she literally squeezed the life out of him.</p><p>"Nothing else to say? Come on, I'm listening."</p><p>He would've made a witty comeback if it wasn't for the fact that all he could say was: hack, gurgle, and wheeze.</p><p>"Where's that bravado now, sidekick?"</p><p>The oxygen circulating throughout his body was getting dangerously low and he could hear his own pulse throbbing. He was getting so loopy that he actually found it hilarious that he was living out one of many of men's wet dreams, getting strangled by a pair of thick thighs from a gorgeous woman. What a way to go.</p><p>But, good sense finally took over and Danny was able to quickly reach into his pocket to reveal his trump card. He uncapped the small container of knockout gas disguised as lip gloss and held it up to her face. Shego gasped and reflexively knocked it out of his hands but it was too late. A single whiff was all it took and he felt the grip on his windpipe go slack.</p><p>Danny gasped and coughed as he greedily sucked in huge amounts of air. Luckily, the lip gloss had rolled a good distance away where he could hold his breathe long enough to put the lid back on. Shego was sprawled on the floor, unconscious. The teen slumped down on the floor next to her, exhausted. Even with his greater healing factor thanks to his ghost powers, these injuries were going to sting like a bitch tomorrow.</p><p>"No! My laser! My Magmachine!" Drakken wailed. "Curse you, Kim Po-!"</p><p>His diatribe was cut short as Danny heard another body hitting the ground with a thud. The bright light and constant hum coming from the giant machine eventually faded. Emergency spotlights came on and the sound of sirens was growing louder outside. Mission accomplished.</p><p>The two scorch marks on the crates in front of him caught his attention. He then looked over to the woman responsible for those marks. Now that he could get a proper look at her, aside from her obviously curvaceous figure, her complexion was startlingly pale with a tinge of green. Was it a byproduct of her powers? How did she even get them?</p><p>More importantly, why did they feel strangely similar to his own ecto-blasts?</p><p>Focusing on his ghost sense, he didn't feel the usual sensation that alerted him to an unnatural presence nearby. But still, he couldn't shake the similarities of her ability to one of his own.</p><p>How strange…</p><hr/><p>One by one, the group of henchmen were loaded up on the backs of police vehicles. A familiar enough sight for Kim as she stood close enough to monitor the process. Of course, it was the last two people that caught her attention as Drakken and Shego were the last ones to be brought out in handcuffs. Shego looked especially miffed by the fact she lost to someone other than the redhead.</p><p>"You think you're all that! But' you're not!" The police van's door slammed shut.</p><p>She watched the vehicle leave before heading over to an ambulance where her friend was getting treated for any wounds. The medic was just finishing up with the final stitch on the side of his cheek where Shego had managed to land a nasty cut.</p><p>"All good to go son." The medic clapped him lightly on the shoulder. "I recommend getting plenty of rest for the next few days and avoid doing anything strenuous, alright?"</p><p>"You got it. Thanks." Danny stood and smiled as he saw her. "Are you still mad?"</p><p>"You have no idea." She couldn't even begin to describe how worried she had been when she saw the sorry state he had been. The fact that Shego laid unconscious didn't even register until she had been done fussing over him. "That was your crazy plan, get beat up and give me a mini heart attack?"</p><p>He had the audacity to chuckle. "It worked, didn't it? Bad guys are behind bars. Wisconsin is still Wisconsin. And the cheese building is mostly intact."</p><p>"You're lucky I can't hit you right now." Kim griped. "That was incredibly stupid of you. Putting yourself at risk like that."</p><p>"I know, I know and I'm so-!"</p><p>Whatever he had been about to say was cut short as Kim leaned up and planted a small peck on his uninjured cheek.</p><p>"It was also very brave."</p><p>Kim didn't wait for his response as she quickly began to walk away before he could see how flushed her face was. All the pent up stress and worry had bubbled over and she was just honestly so relieved he was okay. In all fairness, things could have been a lot worse.</p><p>Danny was many things, but perhaps the most apt term for him would be surprising. She never would have thought that the two of them would be friends just because he was the social outcast not too long ago but here they were. He never seemed interested in his parent's line of work and yet he was fairly knowledgeable about ghosts and the equipment used to hunt them. And only a few hours ago, she never would have guessed that Danny would come out on top of a fight with Shego of all people.</p><p>So yes, her friend was full of surprises. She glanced back to see him still staring into space with a dazed look. Kim still had questions, and she had a feeling Danny had the answers but she could wait.</p><p>After all, unravelling the mystery was half the fun.</p><hr/><p>The two burly prison guards kept a tight grip on both of her arms as they escorted her through the prison. They were lucky that she was shackled with specially designed manacles courtesy of Global Justice. Whatever, this dinky prison wouldn't hold her long anyway. Either her boss would find a way to bust them out or she would get tired of waiting for him and bust herself out. It was only a matter of how long she was willing to tolerate sleeping in a cramped cell that would make her decision for her.</p><p>They pushed her roughly into an empty interrogation room. At least, she thought it was empty at first.</p><p>"Thank you, gentlemen." A smooth voice said to the guards. "That will be all for now."</p><p>The two muscle-heads nodded and closed the door without another word. A man in a crisp business suit sat at one end of the plane metal table. He gave her a disarming smile and gestured to the chair opposite of him. "Please, sit down. I've been waiting for you."</p><p>Shego looked at the man suspiciously before complying. She plopped her manacled hands on the table.</p><p>"Oh how rude of me," The person apologized. "Here, allow me."</p><p>He slipped a special electronic key from his pocket and used it to unlock her bindings.</p><p>"Thanks." Shego muttered.</p><p>"It's my pleasure. After all, I want you to be as comfortable as possible during our little talk. I find negotiations work much more smoothly if both parties are at ease."</p><p>"Alright, cut to the chase here money-bags. What do you want?"</p><p>"A direct woman, aren't you?" The man chuckled. "I respect that. Well, introductions are in order. I'm Vlad Masters, CEO and founder of Vlad Co."</p><p>The name struck a chord with her. With her line of work, she was always on the lookout for her next big score. Vlad Masters was one of them. "I think I've stolen from you before."</p><p>"Yes, quite a few million dollars actually." Vlad admitted. "I was very peeved."</p><p>"So what, you here to sue me, is that it?" Shego inspected her nails. "Well, get in line pal. You're about a few billionaires behind."</p><p>An amused chuckled slipped past his lips. "Nothing so mundane. No, I'm here to offer you a job. One that will satisfy your proclivities for dubious pursuits."</p><p>Shego pretended not to care but her attention was piqued. She's dealt with these types before. These eccentric billionaires always wanted someone else to do their dirty work for them and they always paid extremely well. The only thing Shego was interested in was<em> how much</em> they were willing to pay. "So, you want me to steal something or rough up some of your business rivals?"</p><p>"I was thinking I'd hire you on a more…permanent basis."</p><p>Now she was definitely listening. Drakken might be a screw-up but he paid her well enough that she could indulge in long two week vacations on tropical islands. It was mainly the reason she put up with all his bullshit plans and schemes in the first place. But now, someone else was offering essentially the same thing. However, you didn't survive in this business without being suspicious of everybody. She had contacts in all the right places and connections to almost all the prominent figures in the criminal underworld. But she'd never heard of Vlad Masters in any of those circles, not even a whisper.</p><p>That fact alone was very telling about the man who sat before her. The subtle flourish of his power was also a jarring thought. He had a specialized key to unlock manacles specifically designed to hold her. The guards answered to him, which meant they were under his thumb as well. His posture was also relaxed despite being stuck in the same room as her with nothing holding her back. It meant that he wasn't even threatened by her at all.</p><p>He was dangerous. She shouldn't underestimate him.</p><p>"You should know that my services don't come cheap."</p><p>"Money is not an issue." Vlad said. "In fact, I think you'll find my terms to be very generous."</p><p>"I'm listening."</p><p>"You will be hired on an on-call basis. You are free to pursue your own endeavors while off duty. My resources shall be yours to use whenever you wish as long as it is within reason and with permission. However, if I require your services, you will respond promptly and immediately cease whatever it is you're doing at the moment. No exceptions. As for your fee…"</p><p>Vlad slid a check on the table for her to inspect. Shego's eyes nearly bulged at the amount. That was a lot of zeroes.</p><p>"Well, my dear? What do you think?"</p><p>Shego reluctantly put the check down. As far as offers went, that was definitely as good as it was going to get. It was already a definite improvement from her current contract with Drakken. But only a complete idiot would accept something like this straight away. There was always a catch and besides, she hardly knew anything about Vlad Masters. Drakken at least had a reputation so she had an idea for what she was signing up for but this man in front of her was a mystery, a dangerous one at that.</p><p>
  <em>Better the devil you know than the one you don't.</em>
</p><p>The saying existed for a reason.</p><p>"I'll think about it." Shego finally said after mulling it over. "I'm still under a current contract with my other employer. Can't just cut and run whenever I feel like it."</p><p>If he was disappointed by her answer, Vlad didn't show it. "Very well. I can understand you need time to consider your options." He reached inside his coat pocket and handed her a sleek business card. "I can't promise when but one day you'll realize that you've been playing slot machines for chump change until now. When you're ready to step past the velvet ropes up in the penthouses where the <em>real</em> game is played, give me a call."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Curiosity</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>There was something different about Danny today. Maybe it was the slight spring in his step as the two made their way to lunch after putting away some stuff from their respective lockers. No, perhaps it was the fact that he was humming a merry little tune under his breath.</p><p>"What's the occasion? You're practically skipping today." Bonnie commented, curious as to what sparked this attitude.</p><p>"What can I say? I feel like a million bucks." Danny said. "Funny how a little me time can change a guy. Plus, I nailed that history test yesterday"</p><p>"Congrats. You have been getting a lot of rest lately." Bonnie noted. He did look a little more energized these past few weeks. The dark circles under his eyes had faded quite a lot which meant he was getting plenty of sleep. Danny had also been spending much more free time hanging out with them despite his ghost fighting activities. "No patrol last night?"</p><p>"Another uneventful evening after a quick flight around." Danny said. "It's weird. Aside from a couple of weak strays, not much ghost activity compared to when I started. Our last big thing was Ember's concert a month ago."</p><p>"Maybe they're getting tired of having their asses handed to them every night." Bonnie said, shooting in the dark. The hell did she know about ghosts and their behavior?</p><p>Danny shrugged in response. "Could be the case. I'm just glad they're finally giving me a break. Nowadays, I have so much free time on my hands, I can finish my homework with some time left over to play video games. Can you believe it?"</p><p>Honestly, she was happy for him too. Slowly but surely, it seemed like she was getting her old Danny back. Bonnie knew that the stress of balancing two separate lifestyles had been taking its toll on him. In her opinion, Danny deserved a lot more than just a slight reprieve. He was out there risking his life every night without anyone being the wiser. Nobody asked him to do it, but he still took it upon himself to protect their homes from threats a lot of people still dismissed as fake or superstitious mumbo jumbo despite the glaring evidence.</p><p>"Hey, guys!" Tara met up with them just as they were about to enter the cafeteria. She was also a bit taken with how chipper Danny looked. "Wow, someone woke up on the right side of the bed this morning."</p><p>"He's just happy he could finally open up his Everlot character that's been collecting dust this whole time." Bonnie told the blonde.</p><p>Tara looked affronted. "You played Everlot without me? Traitor! I thought we were a party?"</p><p>"It was a spur of the moment decision and I only had time to do a solo quest anyway." Danny raised his hands up defensively. "I had two hours to kill after finishing up the calculus assignment."</p><p>"Fine, I'll forgive you this once but you better notify me when you're going to play." Tara wagged a threatening finger in front of his face as the three fell in line to grab their food. "Speaking of which, did you know that the developers are making a sequel with a bunch of new features?"</p><p>"Yeah, I saw something about that on the internet." Danny said, sliding his tray along. "They're partnering up with Axiom Labs for a state of the art operating system. Plus, I hear they were also releasing a demo version of the game for free and you can incorporate your pre-existing character into it."</p><p>"I know it's going to be so cool!" Tara gushed.</p><p>Bonnie rolled her eyes at her two best friends. "You guys are such nerds. Why am I friends with you again?"</p><p>"Not our fault you're such a normie and you hate fun." Danny quipped.</p><p>"Playing a video game character who prances around in some make believe fantasy world for hours isn't my type of fun."</p><p>"Your loss." Danny shrugged. His eyes caught something a few tables away and his expression brightened up a bit more. "Hang on a sec. Save me a seat, I'll be right back."</p><p>He walked off with his tray of food, weaving through the numerous tables. Bonnie followed his line of sight and caught hints of red hair in the distance. The grip on her tray tightened as she watched Danny reach Kim's table and start a friendly conversation. He took a folded piece of paper from his pocket and proudly showed it to the redhead. Kim's face lit up in delight and she pulled the boy in for a quick hug. Ron also gave him a congratulatory fist bump.</p><p>Okay, enough is enough.</p><p>"Bonnie, where are you going?" She didn't bother answering Tara's question as she stomped over to where her team captain was getting a little too touchy-feely with her best friend. A random passerby nearly tripped over himself as he tried to avoid a fuming Bonnie. Smart boy.</p><p>"…told you all our tutoring would pay off." Kim was saying as she released him.</p><p>"It would seem that the student has surpassed the master." Danny jokingly said with that stupid grin on his face.</p><p>Kim playfully flicked his forehead to which he exaggeratedly leaned his head back as if he was shot. "Don't get too cocky mister."</p><p>"What's going on here?" Bonnie declared her presence with a scowl and her arms crossed. Kim's elated expression faded a tad bit at her arrival.</p><p>"I was just telling Kim the good news." Danny explained. "She's been a great help and I couldn't have gotten this A plus without her."</p><p>"Give yourself some credit, Danny." Kim assured him.</p><p>"Are you kidding? I'd be totally lost without you."</p><p>Bonnie grit her teeth as she saw Kim's cheeks take on a slight pinkish hue at that statement. Of course Danny would be too dense to realize how intimate that sounded. He was infuriatingly earnest about stuff like that but he often overlooked the way someone would take his words. It was middle school all over again. Danny would stick his foot in his mouth and spout some mushy nonsense to some random girl without thinking which leads them to the erroneous conclusion that Danny was being romantic. Whelp, time to nip this in the bud before Kimmy got the wrong idea.</p><p>"That's great." Bonnie's voice oozed false sincerity. She then subtly situated herself between the two to physically separate them. "But if you needed help, you could've come to me instead of detention girl."</p><p>"Oh that's rich, seeing as how I'm still top of the class regardless." Kim retorted, not backing down an inch. "At least I'm not a quitter. I practically handed you the Captain position after you sold more chocolate than me but I guess you just couldn't handle the responsibility could you, Bon-Bon?"</p><p>"Hey now, come on guys." Danny tried to interject himself into their usual verbal spar but Bonnie held up a hand in front of his face.</p><p>"No, let her continue. I'd love to hear more about how you basically admitted I beat you at something. I'm sure Kim's got more examples of those instances."</p><p>"Funny, I'm drawing a blank. Maybe it's because they only exist in your wildest dreams Bonnie."</p><p>The two girls were almost nose to nose as they stared down the other. Fortunately for all parties involved, they were interrupted by a new arrival.</p><p>"Hey Kim- whoa what's going on?"</p><p>Monique, the transfer student who quickly integrated herself into Kim's friend group, stood slightly bewildered by the scene she walked into. Bonnie had to admit, she could respect the girl's sense of fashion and she was also quick-witted whenever she wanted to be. If she wasn't so friendly with Kim, Bonnie might've invited the girl over to their little circle of friends.</p><p>"Hey Monique. Just the usual." Kim replied without taking her glare off Bonnie.</p><p>"Well, have fun with that." Monique eyes lit up as her attention seemed to be focused on something behind Bonnie. "Hey there handsome, I don't think we've been formally introduced."</p><p>Wait, what?</p><p>"Oh hi, I'm Danny."</p><p>"Monique Symone." The girl shook his outstretched hand. A coy smile gracing her lips as she let the contact linger for a bit. "Very nice to finally meet you. Heard a lot about you from Kim. She never mentioned she was tutoring a stud. Shame on you Kim for keeping him all to yourself."</p><p>Bonnie's head turned so fast she almost had whiplash. Hold the fuck up. Even Kim was startled by her friend's blatant display of flirting. Meanwhile, Danny scratched his head bashfully. Not even he could miss such a direct compliment aimed at him. "Uh, thanks."</p><p>"So, you got a last name or should I just call you Danny the Hunk? Either way is fine by me." Monique winked at him.</p><p>Bonnie's eye twitched in barely restrained fury. Her brain was too busy processing this quick turn of events. She had been mad at Kim only a few seconds ago but for the life of her couldn't remember why. Her ire was directed at a new target now and she was locked on.</p><p>"Uh, Fenton's fine. I mean Fenton's my first –no, my surname. It's Danny Fenton." Danny was full blown stumbling over his words now. It was almost comical how he could face down supernatural entities on a nightly basis but this was able to reduce him to a flustered mess.</p><p>Monique pouted, trying to make herself look cute. "Between you and me, I kind of liked the latter. It suits you better."</p><p>It was like this bitch didn't even know the word subtle. She was like a sledgehammer having a field day in a china shop.</p><p>"Time out." Bonnie held up her hands in a T. "Time the fuck out. Cool your jets for a second there, girl. What do you think you're doing?"</p><p>Monique raised an eyebrow with her hip cocked to the side. "Isn't it obvious?"</p><p>Bonnie was <em>this</em> close to snapping at the girl. Luckily for her, Kim stepped in. "Monique, what's gotten into you all of a sudden? I never knew you were so…forward."</p><p>"Come on girls, really?" Monique scoffed and stared at the two rivals disbelievingly. "I'm pretty sure both of you know exactly what I'm trying to do. Now, if you'll excuse me. I'm working here."</p><p>Monique stepped past the two and sashayed up to Danny who unconsciously took a few steps back with a look of nervousness on his face. "So stud, you got any plans this Friday night?"</p><p>"Not particularly." Danny hesitantly replied.</p><p>"Great, because I do! It involves me and little Y-O-U." Monique playfully trailed her fingers up his arm and booped him lightly on the nose. "How about it?"</p><p>The balls on this girl. Bonnie couldn't believe she was resorting to such an underhanded tactic. Using peer pressure and asking someone out in public is such a dirty move but it was effective. Already a couple of onlookers from the surrounding tables were watching the events unfold as they all waited to hear Danny's answer. If he said no and rejected her advances, it would make Monique look pathetic while Danny was to be painted as the asshole. Of course, Danny being who he is with his damned noble personality, Bonnie already knew what his answer would be.</p><p>"Sure? I guess it could be fun."</p><p>Bonnie didn't realize she had grabbed a fork off her tray and had bent it out of shape from the pure fury she felt. Off to the side, she never noticed Kim looking as disgruntled as she felt.</p><p>"Stellar, I'll see you then handsome." Monique gave him one last smile before walking away. "I'm going to skip lunch today Kim. I think I've had my fill of <em>beefcake </em>today."</p><p>Like a hurricane passing through and leaving nothing but destruction in its wake, Monique was gone.</p><p>Tara finally caught up to her two friends, taking her sweet time in selecting her preferred lunch dessert. "So, what did I miss?"</p><hr/><p>Danny skidded to a halt in front of a startled Josh Mankey as he was grabbing the necessary books from his locker for the next period.</p><p>"Let me guess, this is about Monique asking you out earlier."</p><p>"How the hell do you already know about that?"</p><p>"Word travels fast around here and she wasn't very shy about it. So, what do you need?" Josh crossed his arms as he leaned on the lockers.</p><p>Taking a moment to compose himself, he decided to not beat around the bush for this one. "I'll be honest with you. I haven't been on a proper date before so I'm kind of in a pickle here."</p><p>"Didn't you go out with that one girl back in seventh grade?"</p><p>"We were thirteen and I took her to the arcade where we ate cheap pizza and played air hockey." Danny waved that example aside dismissively. "Plus, her parents were chaperoning the entire time. I don't think that counts."</p><p>"Right, and why exactly are you coming to me for dating advice? I'm sure Bonnie or Tara could help you out here better than I can."</p><p>"Let's just say one of them isn't talking to me at the moment and the other is too busy trying to calm the other down." Danny answered, recalling the very cold shoulder he received from Bonnie after the little spectacle. "I can't exactly ask Kim because she also made some excuse just to avoid me for some reason. As for Ron…I'm not that desperate. So that leaves you."</p><p>"Wow, that's kind of sad." Josh chuckled. "Personally, I don't see why you're making such a big deal out of this."</p><p>Frankly, Danny didn't either but everything happened so fast that by the time his brain caught up with the current events, it hit him like a freight train. He was put on the spot and just blurted out his answer without really thinking. In theory, he could just back out and cancel but from what little he knew about this kind of stuff from the way Bonnie and Tara talked in the past, that would be considered a dick move. Plus, the girl looked genuinely excited about it when she asked him. He would feel bad about going back on his word now.</p><p>Josh must've seen the turmoil in his expression. "Okay, let's take a step back for a bit. We can't change what happened so let's focus on the present. First of all, do you even want to go on a date with her? There's nothing wrong with turning a person down in a gentle way."</p><p>"I know, but she seemed so adamant and I got so caught up in her flirting." Danny sighed. "Not much of an excuse, but it looked like she really liked me. I just don't know."</p><p>Josh nodded. "Alright, so you're being considerate about her feelings in all this. That's admirable in a sense but stupid in another. Most people would just flat out reject someone they didn't like. It's harsh but it saves them the trouble later down the road so that the two people can eventually move on in their lives."</p><p>Danny winced. Well, when he put it like that he felt like a bigger douchebag than he was a moment ago.</p><p>"But," Josh held up a finger. "There's also nothing wrong with accepting and seeing where it takes you. I mean, that's the whole point in dating, isn't it? Two people trying to connect with what they have in common and what they don't. There's no guarantee that you two will hit it off straight away but you never know."</p><p>"So, you're saying I did the right thing in accepting?"</p><p>"Look dude, the decision is up to you." Josh told him. "You still have time to put her down gently or you could go and the both of you might have a good time together. The two of you don't have to become an item straight away."</p><p>Danny thought long and hard for a moment. Everything the blonde said made perfect sense. He could still cancel but Danny was someone who didn't like to go back on his word, something his father loved to hammer into his brain. So the clear choice would be to go and just take it from there. Monique was one of the prettier girls in school and from what he'd seen so far, she was certainly energetic and interesting to be around. There could be something there besides physical attraction but, like Josh said, only one way to find out.</p><p>"Thanks man." Danny held out his fist. "You're a lifesaver."</p><p>"Don't mention it." Josh bumped it with his own fist. "Good luck dude. Oh by the way, it helps if you have a back-up activity in mind in case something goes wrong. You guys might finish a movie early or there might not be enough tables at a restaurant. A little planning goes a long way and it shows you put some thought into the date so it doesn't look like she's the only one taking it seriously."</p><p>Danny made a metal note of that. "Back-up plan. Got it. Any more tips you can give, oh wise one?"</p><p>"Alas, there are some things you must learn for yourself young padawan."</p><hr/><p>Danny checked his watch as he tried his best to stay calm. He was at the designated meeting place a few minutes earlier than they agreed. More time for him to mentally prepare himself.</p><p>
  <em>Be cool, Fenton. Relax, it's just a date. Act casual but not too casual for her to think that he wasn't treating this as a date. What do you even call that? Slightly above casual? Semi-casual? Fuck, where was I? Oh yeah, be cool.</em>
</p><p>"Hey there, handsome." Monique waved at him as she sauntered over. Danny couldn't help but stare a bit as she approached. Say what you want about her but the girl had style. She wore a red blouse that left her shoulders exposed and a pair of designer jeans that showed all her curves in all the right places. She giggled a bit at his expression and gave a little pose. "See something you like?"</p><p>"Uh, no-I mean, yes!" Danny shook his head to steady himself. Get a grip! Not even five seconds and he was already making an ass out of himself. He cleared his throat and tried for a small smile. "I mean, you look nice."</p><p>"Aww, thanks. You clean up nicely yourself." Monique gave his black sport coat and white shirt combo an approving glance. She then wasted no time in hooking her arm through his and began gently leading them to their destination. Her close proximity allowed him to catch a whiff of her sweet perfume. Lavender, perhaps?</p><p>"So, mind telling me where we're headed?" Danny decided to strike up conversation as they walked with their arms linked. "I'm kind of curious as to what you have planned. Usually the guy's supposed to be the one with the plan but you're holding all the cards at the moment."</p><p>"Don't worry, I'm not one of those girls who get hung up on those kinds of details." Monique assured him. "I asked you out so it's fine. As for where we're going...well, it's a surprise."</p><p>The two teens walked in silence for a bit afterwards. They both attempted to make small talk a few times but they quickly fizzled out. It wasn't exactly awkward but it wasn't comfortable either. They were basically strangers who decided to just go on what was essentially a blind date together. They were both fishing for a common ground but so far unsuccessful. He didn't know the first thing about her aside from the fact she just moved here a few weeks ago and according to Kim, worked at Club Banana. Somehow, he doubted she wanted to talk about her job at the moment.</p><p>He racked his brain for something, anything really, when he remembered Ron mention something about her before.</p><p>"I hear you're a big fan of wrestling." Danny said. "Who's your favorite?"</p><p>Monique's eyes lit up a bit. "I'm going with my boy Pain King all the way!"</p><p>"Really? Never took you for a PK fan." Danny raised a challenging eyebrow. "But we all know Steel Toe can take on your boy no sweat."</p><p>"Please, Pain King has held more titles than that meat-head." Monique responded.</p><p>"Yeah, but he loses them so quickly that it makes him seem lame." Danny told her. "Steel Toe has held the championship belt longer than anybody in the Global Wrestling Association."</p><p>Monique looked slightly offended by that remark. "Hey, compared to Steel Toe, Pain King is practically a rookie with more wins under his belt than anybody else so early in his career."</p><p>And not long after that, it felt like the ice was finally broken. Conversation flowed more smoothly after that. It took Danny a few tries before he finally figured out what was wrong. Unconsciously, he was being too uptight and overthinking everything up to this point. On some level, maybe Monique had been feeling the same too. He was too busy trying not to make a fool out of himself that he forgot to actually enjoy the moment. And if he did mess up, so what? Monique didn't seem like the type of person who would blow up over every little thing and neither was he. She was also pretty witty herself and some of the stories she was telling about herself had him in stitches a couple of times.</p><p>So far, things were off to a good start.</p><hr/><p>"A roller skating rink? Damn this girl is good." Bonnie muttered as she and Tara huddled low over a table, attempting to be as inconspicuous as possible. "It's a unique choice I'll give her that."</p><p>In the center of the large space, dozens of people were skating around the smooth polished wooden floor. Most of the skaters were average at best with a few smattering of first timers and people who just liked to show off. Among the crowd, she spotted Danny and Monique skating side by side. Her friend was fumbling a bit and nearly lost his balance a couple of times. Luckily for him, he hasn't taken a dive yet thanks to his date who had her hands locked in his. Once again, Bonnie was grudgingly impressed with the amount of thought Monique has put into this date. A simple activity and yet it had a certain charm. Furthermore, it allowed her ample opportunities for close contact.</p><p>"Bon, can't we just leave them to their own devices for tonight?" Tara sighed as she sipped on her soda. "They're obviously enjoying themselves."</p><p>"I told you, we have to make sure Danny doesn't make a fool of himself and that no ghost will interrupt them." Bonnie said in a hushed tone despite the loud upbeat music and indistinct chatter all around. "Why do you think we brought the Fenton Thermos with us?"</p><p>"Right," Tara gave her a pointed look. "Are we sure that's the only reason?"</p><p>"Duh, why else would we be here?" Bonnie actively avoided the blonde's gaze as she said that. Okay, so maybe not the only reason but what she said wasn't technically a lie either. She did want her best friend to have fun. He deserved a little break from all his ghost fighting, at least for one night.</p><p>She just wished it was her he was spending it with.</p><p>"Okay fine, I'll go along with this and pretend we're here to make sure nothing happens."</p><p>"Thanks, Tara. I knew you'd see things my way."</p><p>"But did we really have to wear these?" Tara gestured to their overly large trench coats, fedora hats, and shades. "We look like we're going to flash somebody."</p><p>Off to the side, a middle aged mother of three was ushering her kids away from the two of them while giving the pair a very disapproving look. In hindsight, the two of them did look like a pair of prostitutes hiding their skimpy clothing under a heavy coat right about now.</p><p>"Shush, it was a spur of the moment decision and I didn't think it all the way through, alright?"</p><p>"Oh crap, they're heading off the floor." Tara nudged Bonnie. True enough, Monique and Danny decided to take a break from all the skating. Unfortunately, they were heading toward the snack bar, which was pretty close to where they were sitting.</p><p>"…sure you haven't done this before?" They could hear Monique talking. "You were looking pretty good out there."</p><p>Danny scoffed playfully. "Tell that to my sore tail bone. Not as easy as it looks."</p><p>Monique giggled and coyly bumped his shoulder with her own. "Relax, you did great. Only fell at least twice."</p><p>"Thanks, I only feel slightly better even though a kid half my age was able to skate backwards the whole time."</p><p>"You'll get there eventually slick." Monique latched onto his arm and lead him toward the snack counter.</p><p>Bonnie and Tara breathed a sigh of relief as the two passed them. That was close. Bonnie couldn't help but glance longingly at their backs as the two waited in line. Danny was telling her something that made Monique laugh and hit him playfully in the arm while giving him a slightly stern yet playful glare. He must've said something mildly inappropriate and yet his jokes never failed to lighten up the mood. Bonnie has heard so many of them that if she tried hard enough, she could probably guess what he said even if she was so far away from the two. She couldn't help but wonder what it would feel like if it was her attached to Danny's arm…</p><p>"Uh, Bonnie?"</p><p>"What?" She was slightly irritated by her small fantasy being interrupted. Tara pointed over to the furthest table near the back. The unmistakable shock of vibrant red hair was seated facing away from them while Stoppable was gorging himself on pizza. Honestly, could they be more noticeable?</p><p>"Come on." Bonnie stood from the table and motioned for her friend to follow. The two girls made their way over to the other table. Ron almost choked on his pizza as Bonnie slammed her hands down and hissed at them. "The hell are you two doing here?"</p><p>"Oh hey you guys." Ron gulped nervously. "Fancy meeting you here. We're just uh you know, getting our skates on. We come here often just shredding it out on the floor just me and my wheels."</p><p>He was such a bad liar it was almost comical. Kim just shook her head and met Bonnie's demanding glare head on. However, she did sense a hint of embarrassment from the redhead that she hid better than the blonde idiot.</p><p>"We're just hanging out." Kim stated. "I dragged Ron here because I haven't gone roller skating in a while."</p><p>Bonnie wasn't fooled for a second. "And the fact that your friend's date just so happens to be here is purely coincidence huh?"</p><p>"What, Monique and Danny are here? I didn't even know that." Kim was paying really close attention to her drink and avoiding eye contact.</p><p>"Don't worry KP, they're a few tables away. I'm keeping my eyes peeled just like you told me to. You were right about this table. It has a good view of everything." Ron gave her a thumbs up. The redhead face-palmed as Bonnie smirked triumphantly.</p><p>"Care to change that statement?"</p><p>"Okay, fine. We're following them." Kim reluctantly admitted. "It's just that…I was worried Monique might get lost or not know where the best places in town are. She just moved here a few weeks ago after all."</p><p>Nice try, but Bonnie knew exactly why they were here. Her captain could play dumb all she wanted and normally, Bonnie wouldn't hesitate to call her out on it. She saw the way the redhead always brightened up during their "tutoring sessions". It frustrated her to no end to hear Danny heap praise on Kim for being so book smart. Her best friend might not see it but Kim was slowly warming up to Danny in ways she didn't agree with.</p><p>"Hang on. What are <em>you</em> two doing here?" Kim frowned at her two squad mates. "Also, why are you dressed like that?"</p><p>"I told you." Tara mumbled, looking at her own trench coat in disdain.</p><p>"It's chilly in here, that's why." Bonnie answered evasively.</p><p>Kim pointedly looked at the slight sheen of sweat building up on her forehead. Okay so maybe it was a bit warm in here due to how packed it was. However, she refused to show any sign of weakness in front of Kim. Was it petty? Yes. But she would take whatever victory she could over her rival.</p><p>"Uh, girls." Ron tapped them both on the shoulder, trying to catch their attention.</p><p>"Don't touch me Stoppable!"</p><p>"Don't talk to him like that!"</p><p>"Girls." Ron tried again but to no avail.</p><p>"Honestly, Bonnie. You can be such a snob. Ever tried being cordial for once or is that not in your vocabulary?"</p><p>"That's rich coming from you. Ever felt like <em>not </em>being a try-hard for once or do you just love the spot light so much?"</p><p>"GIRLS!"</p><p>"What?!" Bonnie and Kim both rounded on the blonde boy. The freckled teen merely pointed behind them, looking a bit sheepish and scared. When the two rivals turned around, they could see why.</p><p>A stern looking Monique had her arms firmly crossed as she glared at the group of teens in front of her. She tapped her foot impatiently and Bonnie had the good grace to be cowed under the girl's scathing look.</p><p>"Enjoying yourselves?" Monique asked, her voice dripping with false sweetness. "Funny. If I'd known this place would be so popular tonight, I might've asked all of you to be my date instead!"</p><p>"Monique, we-"</p><p>The girl held up a hand before Kim could even finish. "I don't wanna hear it Kim. Whatever excuse you're about to tell me, I'm sure I'd love to hear all about it on Monday. But not right now because I am fucking pissed at all of you."</p><p>The four teens visibly winced.</p><p>"You're lucky I was the one who spotted you." Monique shifted her glare over to Bonnie. "No offence, but your disguise could use a little work. Imagine if Danny was the one who saw the two of you and how hurt he would be that his two friends didn't trust him enough to handle himself. FYI, he's been the perfect gentleman all night, no thanks to you. He told me how he wanted to ask his best friends for any advice but apparently, they've been ignoring him for the past two days."</p><p>Bonnie felt like she'd been kicked in the chest. She chewed on the bottom of her lip in guilt and off to the side, Tara looked like a kicked puppy. She had been too busy wallowing in her frustration and self-pity that when her best friend needed her, she left him in the dust. Tara had just been a good friend in comforting her but she had unknowingly taken up all of the blonde's time.</p><p>Of course Danny had needed them. His last date had been at a Chuck E Cheese for God's sake. He obviously wanted to be better this time but his friends had been nowhere to help him out, even if it was to tell him what clothes would look nice. He still managed to do well on his own but he probably would've liked a second opinion.</p><p>They were fortunate enough that Monique was being quite tame with her verbal lashing. Bonnie felt like such a bitch right now.</p><p>"Here's what's going to happen." Monique spoke with an icy calm. "We're going to finish our snacks and have a few more rounds skating. After that, we're going to leave and if I catch any of you still following us, I won't hesitate to tell Danny. Got it?"</p><p>Four heads nodded in agreement. With that said, Monique left them and quickly walked back to where Danny was.</p><p>"Was she always that scary?" Tara asked in a shaky voice.</p><p>"Nope, and it is an experience I am not hoping to repeat." Ron said.</p><p>Kim and Bonnie shared a look and for once, it wasn't one full of animosity.</p><p>"Come on." Kim slid off her chair. "She's right, we shouldn't even be here. The four of us still have an early start tomorrow."</p><p>"I still haven't packed!" Ron gripped his hair in a panic. Tara giggled at his antics.</p><p>Bonnie could only nod glumly. That's right, the cheer squad was spending the rest of the weekend at the Inter State Cheer Competition. She spared one last glance over to where Monique met up with a slightly confused Danny who held a tray of their food. Bonnie vowed to make it up to him when they got back. Their friendship was too important to lose to something as petty as jealousy.</p><hr/><p>"All I'm saying is that I've never seen anyone devour a chili dog that fast before." Danny said. "Honestly, it's quite impressive."</p><p>Monique playfully punched him on the shoulder at that. "I was starving. Why, does it turn you off to see girls get a bit messy?"</p><p>"Not really." Danny shrugged indifferently. Sure he usually expected girls to be a bit dainty when handling their food but he didn't mind when they got messy either. Obviously she'd never seen Bonnie eat a whole tub of her favorite ice cream or Tara putting away a hefty amount chocolate cake all by herself. His friends had quite the sweet tooth. "By the way, was I seeing things earlier or were there a pair of hookers back at the skating rink? I didn't want to stare but a lot of the parents were complaining about them."</p><p>"Oh? I couldn't tell." Monique had a strange knowing look on her face. Weird. "Anyway, I just wanted to get away from the crowd for a bit. I had been hoping to get to the couple skate but a romantic stroll isn't too bad."</p><p>After they'd eaten their quick meal, she'd been strangely insistent on leaving earlier than they originally planned. He didn't know what prompted this change of heart but Danny was quick to follow her out. Don't get him wrong, he'd been having a nice time but skating wasn't his strong suit. He had a moderate success in keeping his balance while Monique had slightly better form and the two of them enjoyed ribbing each other; trying out ridiculous moves and failing spectacularly.</p><p>Now the two teens were having a leisurely walk along the more commercial parts of town, where a couple of stores and cafes were still open. Monique rubbed her arms as a particularly chilly breeze blew past. Danny wasted no time in removing his sport coat and draping it over her shoulders.</p><p>"Thanks." Monique smiled at him gratefully, and he had to admit she had a pretty smile. She pulled his coat tighter around herself.</p><p>It was at this point that Danny realized that maybe he should offer to do something else. The night was still young and it was clear Monique had planned on staying longer at the rink but changed her mind due to the influx of customers, most being younger kids. Luckily, he had prepared for this situation. Thank God that he was able to take Josh's advice.</p><p>"Hey, if you're feeling up for it, we could catch a movie?" Danny suggested. Doing some research beforehand, he knew that their local theater was still open and had three movies available for one last run: A chick-flick, an action movie, and a horror film. Not a bad assortment and he would be fine with whichever one Monique picked.</p><p>Monique visibly brightened at the idea. "That sounds fun!"</p><p>
  <em>Josh buddy, I owe you one.</em>
</p><p>They arrived at the theater with plenty of time to spare. The two teens fell in line with the other patrons, most of whom were also on dates he assumed.</p><p>"Hey, you two." Zita, one of their classmates from school, greeted the two as they approached the ticket booth. She smirked as she saw their interlocked hands. "How's the date so far?"</p><p>"No complaints here, girl." Monique said cheerfully. She had no idea how much of a relief that was to hear.</p><p>"That's nice." Zita responded, genuinely glad. "So, what will it be tonight?"</p><p>"Two tickets to Bricks of Fury." Monique said.</p><p>"You got it." Zita rang them up and handed them their passes. "Have fun."</p><p>"Bricks of Fury, huh?" Danny said.</p><p>"I know you wouldn't want to sit through a cheesy romantic movie." Monique said before she leaned in close to his ear. "Besides, why watch someone make out on screen when we can do it ourselves?"</p><p>Heat instantly crawled up from his neck and up to his face. The look she was giving him was downright scorching. Danny's eyes dipped down to her full lips curved in a smile. He gulped. Boy, was it getting hot in here?</p><p>However, the moment was ruined when a wisp of blue smoke escaped from his mouth. Luckily, Monique had already faced away. Danny scowled as he felt the same ecto-signature from before. It was faint but definitely there. He'd been sensing it since the skating rink but decided to ignore it in favor of his date. So far it hadn't caused any problems but the fact that it was following them was a red flag in his opinion.</p><p>Better safe than sorry.</p><p>"Hey, you can go on ahead for a bit. I just need to use the restroom."</p><p>She agreed and Danny quickly dashed into an empty stall in the men's room. Luckily, he was the only one inside at the moment. In a flash of white, he transformed and quickly flew in the direction of the ecto-signature he felt. It wasn't far and in fact, was just hiding in the back of a small storage room.</p><p>A familiar face screamed and for once it wasn't "Beware!".</p><p>Danny roughly grabbed the front of his overalls and held a glowing green fist threateningly. "You have five seconds to start talking Box Ghost. I'm not in the mood today so spit it out. Why are you following me?"</p><p>The pudgy ghost didn't even bother resisting. He held up his hands in surrender. "It wasn't me! It was the girl! She made me do this!"</p><p>"What girl?"</p><p>"She said that there was a chance you might sense her presence so she threatened me to follow you guys around for the night." Box Ghost confessed. "Please don't hit me!"</p><p>Danny frowned as he took a moment to process what he'd just heard. That didn't make any sense. The only girl he could possibly be talking about was Monique but that couldn't be right. How would she even know who Box Ghost was? More importantly, how would she even know he had ghost powers in the first place?</p><p>Wait a minute…</p><p>Digging deep into his ghost sense and instead of expanding it, Danny focused his range on a particular area. True enough, there was another signature he hadn't noticed earlier. It was well hidden and suppressed somehow. If he hadn't been actively looking for one, he doubted he would ever find it.</p><p>Danny let the nuisance go. "Get out of here. I better not see you around here for a couple of days, got it?"</p><p>"Sure thing!" The Box Ghost gave him a quick thumbs-up before getting the hell out of dodge.</p><p>He waited for his signature to fade into the distance before transforming back in the same bathroom stall. Danny stepped back into the main area and spotted Monique waving him over with a bucket of popcorn.</p><p>"I know we just ate but a little popcorn never hurt anyone right?" Monique said. She must've noticed the intense scowl on his face as her smile faded. "Hey, what's wrong?"</p><p>"Jig's up. You've had your fun now it's time to come clean." Danny crossed his arms and looked at her expectantly.</p><p>Monique let out a small nervous laugh. "Danny, what are you talking about?"</p><p>"This isn't funny anymore." Danny was dead serious now. "Either you come out or I force you out. Which is it going to be?"</p><p>A few moments passed before it happened. It was like a switch had been flipped. Just a simple shift in her posture was enough to let him know that another person was standing in front of him. Monique's smile just turned a tad bit too sly and her stance became just a bit too cocky. Her eyes also flashed into a deep ruby. "Aww, you're such a spoilsport. I knew I shouldn't have asked the Box Ghost for help."</p><p>He recognized that voice and it was definitely not Monique.</p><p>"Kitty, what are you doing here?" Danny sighed as he felt a headache coming on.</p><p>To be fair, she did look marginally guilty. "Are you mad?"</p><p>"I am a lot of things right now." He replied evenly. He was angry, surprised, and disappointed to name a few. All this time he thought he had been having an enjoyable night out with an interesting girl only to find out said girl was being possessed by another girl. He felt duped.</p><p>"I'm really sorry Danny, I didn't mean for things to turn out this way." Kitty for her part, looked genuine. "Honest to God I didn't mean to cause you any trouble. Is there some place we can talk?"</p><p>Danny then maneuvered them to a secluded corner where no one was paying attention to. "Okay, talk. Please tell me you didn't have a spat with Johnny. I am really not in the mood to deal with that freaky shadow thing of his."</p><p>"Relax, it's nothing like that." Kitty assured him. It was really weird to hear her voice coming out of Monique's mouth. "Truth is I just felt like I needed a change of pace. You have no idea how dull and gloomy it is in the Ghost Zone. Every day it's the same damn thing. Usually, I pass the time hanging out with Ember whenever I'm not with Johnny but ever since she came back from her little take over the world stint, she's been acting all weird. She's holed up in her lair and has barely hung out with me since. Johnny's great but even we need breaks from each other every once in a while. He has his bike to keep him busy but that leaves me with nothing to do. But then I thought to myself, hey, I know someone in the human world. And so, here I am."</p><p>That was a lot to take in. There were a few things in that statement he wanted to ask her but he decided to focus on the important details first.</p><p>"Okay, let me get this straight." Danny said, taking a deep calming breathe. "You came here because you were bored."</p><p>"Pretty much."</p><p>"So why exactly are you overshadowing Monique?"</p><p>"Oh well, I can't really go out and do stuff as a ghost silly." Kitty looked at him as if he was stupid. "I thought about overshadowing one of your friends, maybe that mouthy girl who likes you, but I remembered our agreement ever since I nearly took over your sister that one time. As long as we don't mess with your friends and family we're cool. So I saw this new girl who hangs around that redhead who has a crush on you and thought it was perfect."</p><p>"Wait a minute, since when did Kim have a crush on me?" Danny asked confused. "I think you have the wrong idea about that one. And of course Bonnie likes me, we're best friends."</p><p>Kitty stared at him like he was the biggest idiot on the planet. "Wow, I feel sorry for those two. Anyway, fast forward a few days and here we are."</p><p>"I need to sit down for a second." Danny walked over and plopped down on one of the couches available for patrons. Kitty took a seat next to him but this time kept a respectable distance.</p><p>"Are you still angry?" She asked tentatively.</p><p>"Not angry." Danny said. "But I really was having a nice time until now."</p><p>"Hey if it makes you feel any better, I can modify her memory so she remembers every moment except for our little talk here." Kitty offered. "You can pretend this never happened and I still get to hang out with a friend in the human world. Everybody wins."</p><p>A tempting option but no. He couldn't go on with this farce. It wouldn't be fair to Monique who didn't have a say in this matter at all. She had been dragged into this against her will and without her knowledge. Who's to say she even wanted to go out with him in the first place?</p><p>He felt a hand wrap around his and he looked up to see a very remorseful Kitty. "I can go if you want. I see that I've messed things up already."</p><p>Yep, she certainly did but he wasn't so callous as to say it to her face. He knew that for the most part, she and Johnny were among the more reasonable ghosts he's had a run in with. They were just looking for a good time and as long as they stuck with his ground rules, then he really didn't have a quarrel with them.</p><p>Kitty stood to leave, most likely to find a more private place to slip away. Before she could get far, Danny stopped her.</p><p>"If you promise to lay low for the rest of the night." Danny couldn't believe he was about to say this. "We can still catch that movie. But after that we'll take Monique home and I'll personally escort you back to the Fenton Portal. Deal?"</p><p>"Deal!" Kitty squealed excitedly. "Oh I can't wait. I haven't seen a real movie in forever and the effects these days are super realistic."</p><p>"And Kitty, if you want to hang out just tell me next time, alright?" Danny said. "I'm sure we can find a work around for your ghost form. If you want to bring Johnny along you have to make sure his shadow behaves."</p><p>Kitty couldn't resist pulling him into a squeezing hug. "Oh, you're the best Danny! Don't worry, I'll keep both of them on a tight leash."</p><p>He didn't know how but at some point in the evening, his regular date with a girl became a friendly date with <em>another</em> girl. While he was disappointed on some level, the night wasn't a total loss.</p><hr/><p>Danny watched Kitty phase out of the roof of Monique's house as she floated up to meet him in the air. Now in her familiar form, the contrast between the two girls he dated only minutes ago was jarring. Her green hair and red leather jacket and skirt really emphasized her biker look.</p><p>"Just as you said, I made sure Monique remembered most of the date." Kitty told him. "I know that I was the one to initiate things but maybe you guys could go on a real date in the future."</p><p>"Thanks, but I might hold off on that for now and see what she thinks of all this first." Danny said. "She might not even like me in the first place."</p><p>"But do you like her?" Kitty asked. "Mind you, most of the things I said while impersonating her were true. I used her memories and experiences to guide all my actions so in a way you were going on a date with the both of us."</p><p>"Please don't put it like that." Danny groaned. "My brain can only take so much in a single evening."</p><p>"You really don't have much experience overshadowing people huh?" Kitty teased.</p><p>"It's not a power I like to use often." Danny admitted. To reach inside someone and play around with their very identity was not something he was too keen on doing. It would be far too easy for him to get carried away and he didn't want that. "Anyway, time to head back."</p><p>"Race ya!" Without waiting for his reply, Kitty shot ahead in the direction of his house. Danny grinned and decided to humor her as he flew after her as fast as he could. He eventually caught up with his speed and just for kicks he put his arms behind his head and shifted in mid-air so that he was flying backward. He gave her an exaggerated yawn as he flew next to her.</p><p>"Show off!" Kitty shouted at him with a laugh.</p><p>"Loser says what?"</p><p>"What?"</p><p>"Exactly!" Danny laughed and in a burst of speed he tore through the night sky like a bullet. The sound of the wind rushing past his ears overtook his senses and his surroundings became a blur. Before he knew it, he was the first to reach Fenton Works. "And the crowd goes wild! No hard feelings right, Kitty?"</p><p>No response. That was strange, he was pretty sure she wasn't that far behind him. "Kitty?"</p><p>He waited for a few minutes before a sinking feeling slowly took over with every passing second. Something was wrong. He scanned his immediate vicinity for any sign of her but other than him, the sky above Middleton was fairly empty. Dread settled into his stomach as he flew back the way he came. He reached out with his ghost sense before getting a lock on her ecto-signature. She landed somewhere below him and Danny hastily flew toward the source.</p><p>"Kitty!"</p><p>"Danny…" Was the only word she was able to muster as he landed next to her.</p><p>She was clutching her midsection where an alarming amount of green ectoplasm spilled from her fingers. With one last wet cough racking her body, Kitty's form went limp.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. With Friends Like These</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>A floating chunk of rock nearly collided with Danny as he flew through the Ghost Zone with reckless abandon. He carried an unconscious Kitty in his arms in a bridal style, trying his best not to agitate the wound on her stomach. Unfortunately, the ride wasn't as smooth as he would've hoped. He had to sacrifice caution in favor of speed. Already, a couple of large beasts had sprung from their lairs at the sight of a meal flying past. Thankfully, they all seemed to give up once they realized they wouldn't be able to catch up to him.</p><p>"Hang on Kitty." Danny told her. He was no expert when it came to ghost physiology. Checking for a pulse was pointless because ghosts didn't have any. However, he was able to rely on his ghost sense in a roundabout way to tell that Kitty was still present.</p><p>But her signature was growing weaker by the minute. He didn't want to think about what would happen if he couldn't sense her anymore.</p><p>He couldn't allow that to happen. Digging deeper, he shifted gears and was able to put on a second burst of speed. Lairs and doors flew past him in a blur as he navigated the seemingly endless green void. Thankfully, the destination he had in mind wasn't too far now.</p><p>Danny wasted no time as he banged his foot repeatedly on a particular floating door. "Johnny! Johnny get your ass out here!"</p><p>A few moments ticked by before a disgruntled looking Johnny Thirteen opened the entrance to the lair he and Kitty shared. "What's your deal Little Man? Do you have any-?"</p><p>It was apparent that he had been working in the garage for the better part of the day as he was smothered in grease and oil stains. The wrench he had been holding clattered to the ground and his annoyance soon morphed into horror and shock as he laid eyes on a heavily bleeding Kitty in Danny's arms. "What the fuck? How did- why is she….?"</p><p>"Johnny, listen to me!" Danny insisted. "We don't have a lot of time. It looks bad but there's still a chance to save her. Is there anywhere in the ghost zone that can heal ghosts? Can anyone help?"</p><p>"I-I'm not sure…" Johnny's eyes never left Kitty's form. Danny could see the fact that his mind was still coming to terms with the sudden turn of events. The halfa understood where he was coming from but now as not the time to shut down. Danny flicked his finger and shot a small ecto-blast at the biker, making him yelp in pain.</p><p>"Focus, Johnny!"</p><p>"Right." The ghost frowned, deep in thought. Danny couldn't help but fidget a bit as Johnny tried his best to recall anything that might help them. Kitty's presence seemed to be fading the longer they waited and Johnny must sense it too as he gripped his hair in frustration. From the corner of his eye, Danny spotted the biker's shadow reacting to his master's emotions. Johnny's head snapped up in realization a few seconds later. "This might be a bit of a long shot but I've heard of a place. Never been there myself but there's a tribe of yeti ghosts that keep to themselves. Word around the Ghost Zone is that they've got some pretty fancy tech for a bunch of savages."</p><p>"It's worth a shot." Danny nodded, exiting the lair back into the seemingly endless void. "Show me."</p><p>Johnny pointed in a vague direction further in. "Keep heading that way until you reach Skulker's Island and then hook a left. Keep going straight until you find a large tunnel covered in ice."</p><p>"Got it." Danny said, mentally repeating the directions three times in his head. "I'm much faster than your bike so I'll be going ahead. I'll meet you there."</p><p>Danny felt a strong grip land on his shoulder.</p><p>"Keep her safe." There was a desperation in Johnny's tone that he'd never heard before. He gingerly ran a hand through Kitty's messy mane of green hair. For all their faults and annoying tendencies to cause him trouble, Danny could see they really did care about each other.</p><p>"I promise."</p><p>Without waiting for a reply, Danny shot off like a rocket toward his destination. He'd never heard of the yeti ghosts that Johnny mentioned but then again, there were probably a million other ghosts in here that he didn't know about. He already had his hands full with the ones that make their way into the human world. No sense in looking for more who seemed content to stay in their little niche.</p><p>However, heading deeper into the uncharted parts of the ghost zone did raise a lot of concerns. One wrong turn or misstep and he could get them both killed. What if the yeti ghosts kept to themselves because they didn't take kindly to outsiders? Could he protect both Kitty and himself from a group of ghosts with capable technology? There were many variables to consider but he also didn't have a lot of options at the moment.</p><p>Worse comes to worst, he had a promise to keep.</p><hr/><p>"<em>The caller you're trying to reach isn't available at the moment. Please try calling later."</em></p><p>Bonnie huffed in annoyance and dialed a new number after the third try. She'd been trying to reach Danny all night but for some god damned reason, either his phone was dead or he was out of service. His date should be over by now. She figured even Monique must have a curfew on a Friday night.</p><p>At least Tara picked up by the second ring. "Bonnie? What's up?"</p><p>"Hey, can you try calling Danny? He's not answering his cell."</p><p>"Bon, it's late. We have to meet up with the squad early tomorrow. Is it urgent?"</p><p>"Well, not really." Bonnie relented as she flopped onto her bed. Her tank top and shorts did little to fight against the cold but at the moment, she didn't care. "I just…wanted to talk to him about something."</p><p>There was a sigh on the other end of the line. "Give me a sec. I'll try on my cell."</p><p>Bonnie stared up at the ceiling for a few seconds. She knew she was being dumb right now and she did feel bad about pestering her best friend at this hour. "Weird, he's not available for me either. But he's probably just on patrol. I'm sure he's fine."</p><p>"Yeah, you're right." Bonnie nodded absently. Of course he was fine. He'd been doing this for months without help. However, that wasn't what was weighing heavily on her mind right now. "Do you think his date ended well?"</p><p>As soon as she blurted it out, Bonnie smacked herself on the forehead. She heard a light rustling on the other end and could only imagine Tara sitting up, more awake now that she opened her big fat mouth. Stupid, stupid!</p><p>"I think I see what's going on." Tara said, giving out a small yawn. "Wanna talk about it?"</p><p>"Forget I said anything. You should head back to bed. Like you said, we have an early start tomorrow."</p><p>"Well, I'm awake now and I know you won't be falling asleep any time soon."</p><p>Bonnie rolled over into a more comfortable position on her stomach.</p><p>"Look Bon, I'm in the dark here as much as you are." Tara said. "Their date could have gone many ways after we left. Until we hear from Danny, let's not assume the worst yet okay?"</p><p>However, that did little to assuage the gnawing doubt that just wouldn't leave her alone. Bonnie knew that Tara was right and she shouldn't let her insecurities get the better of her until they had proof. Unfortunately, that didn't stop her from picturing his smiling face aimed at another girl who reciprocated in kind.</p><p>"I'm scared, Tara." Even to her own ears, Bonnie's voice sounded small. "What if he does develop feelings for someone else? It doesn't even have to be Monique but I'm scared Tara. We just patched things up between the three of us and now things are moving so fast I can barely keep up sometimes. I always thought that my biggest problem would be figuring out how to get that moron to ask me out to the prom and pass finals. Now we have all these ghosts and evil billionaires to worry about. Danny already has a lot on his plate and I don't want to add my personal baggage onto it as well."</p><p>Bonnie paused for a moment to steady her breathing. "I just feel robbed you know? If it hadn't been for his accident, I was planning to ask him out that day. He's so dense I figured I'd have to be the one to make the first move. But then we got the call and I have to be honest with you Tara, I don't even remember how we got to the hospital when it all happened…"</p><p>"I know what you mean." Tara said despondently.</p><p>"He's such an idiot sometimes." Bonnie let out a morose little laugh. "Even when it's none of his business, he has to get involved because he's so damned noble all the time. First thing he does after getting ghost powers? He has to play hero and I just worry about him so much because what if one day, there's a bad guy he just can't beat? Can't he see that there are people who love him and don't want to see him get hurt? I feel like I might lose him Tara and I don't want that."</p><p>Bonnie's breaths became a bit ragged and she forced herself to calm down once again. It felt like a dam had been burst and all her fears and insecurities just came spilling forth uncontrollably. She hated feeling this way and she was lucky Tara was always ready to be here for her. She was one of the few people in the world Bonnie allowed to see her like this.</p><p>"You know I'm rooting for you, right?" Tara said after a short pause. "My two best friends becoming a couple would be the best thing in the world. You guys are my OTP."</p><p>Bonnie couldn't help but snicker as she imagined a fangirl Tara waving flags with their faces on them. "Make sure to buy our shirts too."</p><p>"What makes you think I haven't?" The two girls shared a laugh, dispelling some of the negative atmosphere. "Seriously though, Bonnie relax. One date isn't the end of the world. He's thickheaded but I've seen how you two have gotten closer these past few days. He'll come around. You have way more chances than anybody."</p><p>"Somehow, I doubt that." Bonnie muttered, a certain redhead came to mind. She wasn't blind. She could see how quickly Kim got over her "mutual break-up" with Josh around the same time she and Danny had been spending more time together. Of course Ms. Perfect just had to set her sights on Danny among the dozens of others. He couldn't stop spouting on how amazing Kim was during their little mission to Wisconsin.</p><p>
  <em>Kim's so brave, she fights all the bad guys.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Kim's so thoughtful, she's tutoring me even with her full schedule.</em>
</p><p>Smart, beautiful, and athletic. Kim Possible is always there to save the day. How could she possibly compare?</p><p>"Bonnie, you still there?"</p><p>"Yup." Forcing the lump down her throat and wiping the slight wetness on her cheek. Glancing at the clock, it was just half-past midnight. They had to be up by six. Hopefully, she would see him tomorrow and everything would be better. "It's getting pretty late. Thanks for listening Tara."</p><p>"No prob." Another yawn escaped the blonde. "G'night Bon."</p><p>"G'night."</p><p>Setting her phone on the nightstand, Bonnie spared one last glance out the window. She liked to imagine that a certain green-eyed ghost was out there keeping the town safe despite not being able to see it. Danny was a noble idiot but she wouldn't have him any other way.</p><hr/><p>The sharp drop in temperature was probably a good indicator as he flew through the tunnel Johnny mentioned. It was surprising given that ever since he acquired his ghost powers, cold climates didn't seem to have that much of an effect on him like before. Even still, the icy winds blowing down the tunnel was able to cut down to the bone. At the speed he was going, he traversed the length of the way in mere minutes before exiting into a wide arctic landscape.</p><p>He honed into his ghost sense in the hopes of locating any inhabitants nearby. Strangely enough, he felt a minor interference as he stretched his senses to the limit but somehow the effects were muted in a way. After training with it for a while, he was fairly confident that at the very least he could always tell when a ghost was nearby. But now, his ability was diminished in some way that he couldn't explain. Even Kitty's signature in his arms felt hazy which was not a good sign.</p><p>"Forward is a good direction as any." Danny talked to himself, trying to soother his own nerves. He flew in a random direction, keeping an eye out for any sign of anything furry. He was beginning to feel the strain of flying at full speed nonstop just to get here. "Come on. Where are you?"</p><p>There! A presence brushed past his ghost sense just for a second but it was enough. Adjusting his course, Danny flew in the direction where he felt the signature. It wasn't too far off and before long, he finally noticed a shape moving along the snow. He didn't have time to be stealthy so he figured the direct approach was the best way to do this.</p><p>Without warning or preamble, the halfa landed hard a few feet in front of the ghost, displacing a lot of snow in the process. Now that he was close enough, Johnny wasn't lying about their appearance. Large humanoid figure with feral features all covered with white fur. However, there was something distinct about this particular yeti ghost. His left arm was completely formed out of ice along with the two horns on his head. He didn't have much in terms of clothing except for a golden circlet around his bicep and a long blue cloak over his shoulders. Behind him was a carcass of a large animal of some kind that the yeti had been dragging along before Danny appeared in front of it.</p><p>"Who goes there?" The yeti ghost spoke, surprisingly fluent without a hint of any animalistic quality. The ghost raised his icy appendage, glowing with light blue energy. "State your business stranger!"</p><p>"Please, I need your help!" Danny panted. He shifted Kitty's limp form in his arms, drawing the yeti's attention. "My friend is gravely injured and I was pointed in this direction."</p><p>"Pray tell, how certain are you that I would be willing to offer any aid to an outsider?" The yeti staunchly replied, the arm not lowering an inch. "How can I be certain your intentions are not misleading or false? We are but strangers."</p><p>He felt more of Kitty's ectoplasm drip from his fingers and his patience snapped.</p><p>"I don't know!" The yeti was mildly surprised at the blunt response. "I really don't have a clue. Hell, I'm not even sure you guys aren't bloodthirsty ghosts that will kill me as soon as I turn my back. But my friend is fading and all I have is blind faith that someone in this damn place knows how to fix her! Look, you can do whatever you want with me afterwards but I don't have time to beat around the bush today! Just give it to me straight, can you heal my friend or not?!"</p><p>His desperate cry rang out and he stared deep into the yeti's own eyes. The large ghost in turn scrutinized him for a long moment, searching for any sign of deceit. His heart was pounding in his ears and it all boiled down to this moment. Kitty didn't deserve any of this. She just wanted to enjoy a night out away from the monotony of her existence as a ghost even for a little while. He would make sure she would get that chance and many more.</p><p>A few seconds longer and Danny was ready to use whatever remained of his strength to start forcing answers out of the yeti, consequences be damned.</p><p>Coming to a decision, the spear eventually lowered but the yeti's eyes remained cautious. He dug something metallic from his belt and spoke into it. "This is Frostbite requesting a hovercraft be sent to my location posthaste."</p><p>Danny couldn't hear the response properly from the other end but it was brief. A flutter of hope began to well up in his chest.</p><p>"You're in luck outsider." Frostbite told him, stowing away the communication device. "There's a patrol nearby completing their rounds. They will be here shortly to take us to the village."</p><p>The relief was overwhelming and Danny sunk to one knee. He bowed his head in gratitude. "Thank you."</p><p>Frostbite grunted. "Raise your head young one. If what you're saying is true, then your friend isn't out of the woods yet."</p><p>True enough, they didn't have to wait long as a sleek transport carrying two more yeti ghosts landed next to them. It was circular in design but spacious enough to carry at least five yeti ghosts by Danny's estimate. Frostbite approached and exchange a few words with the pilot before he beckoned him over. The large ghost regarded him one last time before snorting through his canine nostrils. "Be warned outsider. If there is any foul play, we will not hesitate to end both you and your companion."</p><p>"I swear." Danny met his gaze head on. "All I want is to save my friend."</p><p>Another moment of scrutiny before Danny was allowed to step foot on the advanced vehicle. The two other yetis kept their guard up around him but made no further moves. Frostbite came last, dragging his rather large quarry with him before taking to the air once again. He gently placed Kitty in one of the large seats but sat beside her to keep pressure on the wound. The ectoplasm wasn't leaking as dangerously as before and with his limited knowledge of first aid, this was the best he could do.</p><p>Now that things have calmed somewhat, he could feel his earlier adrenaline start to fade and the wave of fatigue followed not long after. Not only had he been flying for God knows how long, he'd been pushing himself to the limit on top of it. Fortunately for him, the yeti ghosts seemed reasonable at least and didn't resort to violence outright. Despite all his bluster earlier, he felt that he would've passed out after throwing a single punch. That would've been embarrassing.</p><p>"Here, it will help stem the bleeding for now." Frostbite handed him roll of clean bandages from his pouch. Danny nodded his thanks and carefully set to work on Kitty's injury. All the while, the yeti observed him with a curious gaze. It was a bit unnerving to be honest. "Rest assured, your mate will be taken care of by our healers."</p><p>Danny scratched his cheek. "Uh, she's not exactly my mate. We're not together. She did just try and overshadow a girl to go on a date with me but she has her own boyfriend here in the Ghost Zone. It's all really weird…and I'm rambling a bit, aren't I?"</p><p>"Indeed." Danny could've sworn there was a hint of amusement in his voice.</p><p>"Right, I'll just shut up now."</p><p>"You're a very strange ghost." Frostbite noted. "Although I cannot tell if that bodes well or ill."</p><p>"Let's hope it's the former."</p><p>The hovercraft began to descend and Danny couldn't resist peaking over the side. He was greeted to a sight of a numerous array of tents and more yeti ghosts going about their business. They landed in a centralized area which looked more communal, most likely for gatherings and such. Once they touched down, another pair of yetis stood with a hovering stretcher between them.</p><p>"My healers will take your friend from here." Frostbite told him. Danny's hesitation must've shown because he added. "You have my word that no harm will come to her under our watch."</p><p>Danny nodded. He'd already taken the leap. All he could do now was see where it would take him. He carefully placed Kitty on the platform before she was carted away. It seemed like they were headed to one of the nearby caves that surrounded the area. Now that he could get a better look, some of the cave entrances had guards posted around them. Many of the villagers regarded him curiously and to be fair he did stand out.</p><p>"Look, I'm sorry if I was too pushy earlier." Danny scratched the back of his head. "Can we start over? I'm Danny, by the way. Danny Phantom."</p><p>His hand was then engulfed by a much larger one. "Well met, young Phantom. I am Frostbite, Chieftain of Far Frozen."</p><p>At the mention of his status, the halfa noted he was a bit larger than all the other yeti ghosts and his regal looking blue cloak and golden circlet did set him apart from all the others he'd seen. That and he was the only one with a frozen arm.</p><p>"Far Frozen? You don't say." Danny glanced around at all the snow and ice that surrounded them.</p><p>Frostbite gave a hearty chuckle. "Yes. Not very imaginative but then again, we are a practical bunch. Come, walk with me young Phantom. Our healers will send word once we know that they've stabilized your friend."</p><p>"That's fine." Danny saw nothing wrong with it and even if he did, not like he could just ignore his request after doing him a favor. "Oh, by the way, if your guys happen to spot another ghost on a motorcycle with greasy blonde hair, can you tell them not to shoot him? I think he's stressed enough as it is."</p><p>"It will be done."</p><p>"I don't know how I can repay you for this but if it's something I can do, let me know." Danny said.</p><p>Frostbite scrutinized him a bit more before grinning good naturedly. "Perhaps you'd grace me with a conversation? It's been a while since an outsider has stepped foot in our domain and I grow curious of the comings and goings beyond our borders."</p><hr/><p>The doorbell woke him from his blissful slumber the following morning. Danny groaned as his alarm clock indicated that it was an hour until noon. He'd been so exhausted that he never even bothered changing his clothes. All he remembered was stumbling into his room as quietly as he could and he was out like a light before his head even hit the pillow.</p><p>He reached for his nightstand and checked his phone. He shot upright as he saw how many missed calls and texts he had, mostly from Bonnie but one or two were from Tara and surprisingly Kim.</p><p>
  <em>Hey just checkin in. Howd the date go? – 10:32pm</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Hellooo? Anybody home? – 10:36pm</em>
</p><p>
  <em>U still seeing us off tom or wat? – 11:05pm</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Danny? U awake? – 5:30am</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Where are u?! – 5:41am</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Forget it. C u Monday. – 6:01am</em>
</p><p>Danny smacked himself on the forehead. He completely forgot that he promised to see them off before their big cheer competition this weekend. He didn't even wish them luck, not that they needed it but still. Damn it. Hopefully he could explain himself once they got back. They understood that he had responsibilities but he couldn't also just blow them off whenever. He could've sent a simple text last night before he fell asleep just to let them know he couldn't make it today. They probably waited for him not knowing he was passed out from all the exertion. Nice going Fenton.</p><p>Dragging himself out of bed and freshening up a bit, he eventually made his way downstairs for breakfast. At this point, it was probably his brunch with how late it was.</p><p>"Good morning sweetie!" His mom was the first one to greet him as he walked into the kitchen. "Someone had a good night yesterday. We didn't even hear you come in."</p><p>"Uh, yeah. You guys just missed me." Danny said. Not technically a lie. He did pass them as they got in the RV and drove down the street in pursuit. He needed a distraction to get his parents out of the house in a hurry. He sent a duplicate to trip the alarms and lead them as far away while he slipped in to use the Fenton Portal without triggering any of the ghost defenses. If he were being completely honest, he got back at around three in the morning. "So, are you guys having company today? I heard the doorbell."</p><p>"Yep, that's why I'm making these!" Maddie pulled out a tray of freshly baked cookies. "Your father and I talked about it for a while and with all these ghosts running amuck lately, we thought it'd be a good idea to start the Ghostkateers again. You remember!"</p><p>Oh he did. He even dragged Tara and Bonnie into it when they were younger just because he thought it would be fun at first. To be fair, the camping and the s'mores had been fun but not so much the three hour lectures about ghosts. Plus, with their childlike attention span, they tended to daydream more often than listen.</p><p>"Sounds…fun." Danny said. He took out some orange juice from the fridge and poured himself a glass. "So, who are the new members?"</p><p>"So far we've only got three boys who're interested. Anne Possible dropped her twins off on the way to work and a shy boy who goes by the name of Wade is participating via webcam. Poor boy, he really needs to leave his room once in a while."</p><p>Danny was a bit surprised by that. He knew Jim and Tim were sort of interested in Phantom if Kim's stories are anything to go by but Wade? He must be interested in some of the tech his parents developed. He couldn't blame the kid. The ghost attacks just seem to keep piling on nowadays. No doubt he's looking into incorporating some anti-ghost gear into Kim's arsenal soon which is going to be a huge pain in the ass for him later down the road. Hopefully, assisting her with the Ember incident earned Phantom some brownie points with the redhead. Maybe she wouldn't be quick on the draw next time they met.</p><p>"You're welcome to join us if you'd like." His mom invited. She placed the cookies on a plate and arranged them on a small tray with glasses of milk. "You could even show the newcomers a thing or two as a senior member!"</p><p>"I'll pass. Maybe next time."</p><p>"Well, if you change your mind, we meet every other weekend as long as the kids don't have any school projects or tests they need to focus on, Oh, we left you some bacon and eggs on the table. I've got to make sure your father doesn't go overboard with the ghost hunting equipment."</p><p>As if on que, he could hear his dad exclaiming loudly from the living room. "And this is little baby is something I like to call: the Jack o'Ninetails!"</p><p>His mom left the room with an exasperated smile, taking the snacks with her. Now alone with his thoughts, he had more important things to worry about as he took a bite of his bacon. Who in the world could have attacked Kitty last night? He knew for a fact that it couldn't be his parents. They were home in the basement tinkering on some equipment when his duplicate made a large ruckus. Nobody else had ghost hunting equipment on them and he distinctly remembered that Kim returned all the gear she used for taking Ember down.</p><p>Could it be Skulker? It would make sense. He and Kitty had been together and moving pretty quickly. He might've gotten her by accident. His fist clenched in anger at the thought. Bastard couldn't let him have one night to himself and instead shoots one of his friends. Lousy hunter or not, he just crossed a line. Tin man should consider himself lucky that Frostbite's healers were able to stabilize her in time. They explained that the attack had somehow damaged her core, something essential for all ghosts to have and if Danny had been even a few minutes late…Kitty would've faded into nothing. Johnny nearly fainted when he heard that.</p><p>For Skulker's sake, he'd better stay clear of the biker for a while.</p><p>He'd never seen Johnny's shadow grow that big before. In response to his master's anguish, the shadow was able to dwarf even Frostbite's large stature. It was honestly a frightening thing to behold.</p><p>Frostbite was kind enough to let Johnny stay in the village until Kitty would be fully healed under the condition that he keep his shadow under control at all times. Danny learned the Far Frozen were actually quite an accommodating bunch of ghosts. They kept to themselves and only took action when they were threatened. God help any poor ghost that did.</p><p>Speaking of poor ghosts, perhaps it was time for one hunter to become the hunted.</p><hr/><p>Despite the grueling circumstances the Middleton Cheer Squad faced at the moment, Bonnie was too busy berating herself for the millionth time that day. God she was so stupid! Why did she send him all those texts? She knew he had a perfectly good reason for not responding because obviously he must've gone on patrol after his date and slept through the morning. She had no right to be mad at him for not seeing them off like he said he would but as usual she let her temper get the better of her. Now Danny was probably thinking she was mad at him or something.</p><p>She was a mess of emotions right now and Stoppable's babble wasn't helping.</p><p>"…this is a place of evil!"</p><p>"Okay, Stoppable we get it!" Bonnie snapped. "We all know you had a shitty time at this stupid summer camp. But please for the love of God, shut up!"</p><p>There were murmurs of agreement from all the girls around the campfire.</p><p>Kim sighed as she gently pulled the mascot down to sit. "As much as I hate to agree with her Ron, she's right. We're all stressed as it is and you're not exactly helping."</p><p>"We'll probably have to commandeer one of the cabins for the night." Mr. Barkin crossed his arms. "Safe to say we won't be making it to that Cheer Competition any time soon and once we get the bus fixed in the morning, we're heading straight back to Middleton. No exceptions!"</p><p>There was a chorus of moans in disappointment at that but no one disagreed. They'd spent weeks putting in extra hours just to perfect their routine but Bonnie had lost all enthusiasm long before they busted a tire on the road. Home sounded good to her right about now.</p><p>Beside her, Tara jumped as twig snapped in the distance. The blonde had always spooked easily even when they were kids. It was why it fell to her and Danny to step up in times such as these. She'd been selfishly wallowing in her jealousy all week while Tara was always ready to lend an ear. Well, not this time.</p><p>Bonnie gently bumped shoulders with the blonde. "Hey, it's probably just some animal and if it does turn out to be something else…" Bonnie opened her backpack and showed her a Fenton Thermos as well as her Specter Deflector. "I'm sure we can take it down."</p><p>Tara smiled gratefully. "Thanks Bon. It's just that Ron's right, you know? This place is creepy."</p><p>"Oh? Maybe you just want Ronnie to be your knight in shining armor." Bonnie whispered teasingly. "Should I call him over here so you two can snuggle for warmth?"</p><p>"Hush you." Tara giggled playfully shoved Bonnie away.</p><hr/><p>"What the hell?" Danny stared at his phone for the third time. He'd been trying to call the girls all day to apologize and wish them luck but he couldn't seem to connect to either of them. Hell, he'd even tried Kim just to pass the message on but no dice. He thought flying up to this cell tower would boost his signal but so far it was the same result. Deciding that he'd just keep trying again later, he put his phone away.</p><p>The wind whipped around him as his legs dangled over the edge of the large metal tower. Once more he closed his eyes and spread his ghost sense as far as it could yet there was no sign of any ghost in the vicinity. He already made a few obvious laps all over town in the hopes of baiting Skulker into a fight. He knew that the hunter wouldn't be able to resist taking a shot at him.</p><p>Three hours after the sun set and still no sign. Was it really Skulker all along? Having fought the ghost for a while now he could honestly say this wasn't the hunter's usual style. He wasn't averse to blindsiding the halfa whenever he could but Skulker would never leave anything half finished. If he'd miss, the ghost wouldn't hesitate in going for the frontal assault once the element of surprise was gone. There was a matter of pride at stake whenever they clashed. Skulker wanted to prove he was the best at what he did and in his mind, the only way to prove it was by beating Danny.</p><p>Danny was beginning to doubt the identity of his culprit which brought his list down to zero.</p><p>He ruffled his own hair in frustration. Back to square one and no leads. He couldn't even find a ghost to take his frustrations out on. Not a single one! Even Box Ghost was nowhere to be found and truly the world was coming to an end if Danny of all people actually <em>wished</em> the annoying ghost would do something. It was better than being alone with his thoughts.</p><p>Danny sat up straighter as he considered the circumstances.</p><p>Come to think of it, ghost activity was at an all-time low recently. Usually he'd run into at least a few on his nightly patrols but now he was lucky to catch two or three for the whole week. He'd just been so grateful for a break that Danny never questioned it but now the silence was getting to him. After months of hassling him nonstop they just cease causing a ruckus out of the blue? No, something's wrong here.</p><p>The calm evening atmosphere was disrupted as Danny spotted two small objects racing toward him from the East. At first they looked like small birds but as they drew closer he realized the they were moving too fast and uniform to be a living creature. The thrusters firing behind them also gave it away.</p><p>Danny leapt off the tower and flew away from the oncoming missiles. The halfa cursed when instead of simply detonating where he was before, the two projectiles swerved and altered course to match his own. That's annoying. He spun in midair so that he had a clear line of sight of the missiles and shot them down with a few ghost rays. The first missile's explosion caused its companion to do the same due to the proximity.</p><p>But out of the blue, three more missiles tore appeared before the smoke even had a chance to clear.</p><p>"You've got to be kidding me." Danny was too slow to implement the same tactic. He was able take down another two but the third had gotten too close just as his ghost ray hit it. The force of the detonation was enough to blast him through the air before righting himself.</p><p>He was too busy scanning the air for any more threats that Danny failed to account an attack from another direction: below. Danny screamed in pain as a large blast of an ecto-weapon hit him square in the back. The halfa had the good sense not to hover in the same position as four more blasts followed, missing him by mere inches. He decided to turn invisible and fly down to the rooftop of one of the buildings.</p><p>Crouching down behind a steel vent, Danny's earlier suspicions were proven correct. This wasn't Skulker or even a ghost for that matter. That's why they were able to attack Kitty last night without him noticing. He didn't detect a hint of an ectoplasmic signature and he'd been stupid enough to think ghosts would be his only problems to deal with.</p><p>This enemy was human and whoever they are, they had some fancy ghost hunting equipment. Danny couldn't think of a worse position to be in right now. Normally, he'd be able to sense an attack coming from a good distance away so he was rarely caught off guard like this and he figured he only had to worry about his parents or Kim whenever they crossed paths. This person was a complete unknown quantity. Whoever they were, they came prepared this time.</p><p>A beam of magenta colored energy tore through the metal of the vent he was hiding behind. The hole was only a few inches from his head. Shit, they could track him with this much accuracy? Well two can play at that game buster. The halfa might not know his attacker's exact location but he had a general direction to work with.</p><p>Turning invisible, Danny phased two floors below the building before flying in the direction of the shots. After passing through two buildings, he flew upwards while maintaining his invisibility. True enough, he spotted a figure hopping from rooftop to rooftop with a large weapon akin to a sniper rifle slung across his back. They're most likely getting a new vantage point shoot from.</p><p>"Not this time." Danny shot forward with such speed and force that he was already on top of his assailant before he could react. "Hi there!"</p><p>A glowing green fist slammed into the side of the attacker's head making them stumble. Now that he could get a close up look at his enemy, the person was slim and lithe but the bulky cargo pants and blood red leather jacket made it hard to tell for sure. The person wore a full visor helmet that covered their face and took the brunt of his punch.</p><p>"I really don't appreciate being shot at." Danny cracked his knuckles. "So what do they call you? Wait, you know what? Doesn't matter. I know you're the one who hurt my friend yesterday and I take those kinds of things personally."</p><p>The assailant didn't respond. Instead, they dropped the large ectoplasmic rifle from their back and took out two pistol like blasters from their belt and began to unload. Danny threw up a shield to protect himself from the onslaught.</p><p>"Silent type huh?" Danny quipped over the sound of blaster fire. "That's fine."</p><p>Danny produced a duplicate that fired off its own ghost rays, forcing the attacker to dodge. Danny dropped his shield and rushed forward. He tackled the masked hunter to the ground and raised a glowing green fist before bringing it down. However, the hunter wasn't going down without a fight. He blocked and threw punches of his own with little regard for his own safety until he unclipped something from his belt. The small beeping sound was Danny's only warning before the flashbang activated.</p><p>While his spots danced in his vision, the assailant managed to escape his hold before unleashing his own volley of attacks. Pain shot through Danny's body as something metallic and charged with ectoplasm repeatedly slammed into his body. The masked hunter gave him no reprieve as the blows continued with ferocity.</p><p>"Get away from me!" Danny screamed as he sent powerful waves of ectoplasm in every direction. He quickly put up a shield in front of him as his senses slowly returned to normal. He could now make out the form of the masked hunter brandishing a pair of knuckle dusters crackling with energy. They assumed a basic boxing stance and beckoned him with a <em>come at me </em>gesture.</p><p>Kitty's limp form bleeding in his arms flashed through his mind and Danny felt something he never liked rise to the surface: rage.</p><p>He dropped the shield and instead charged his own clenched fists with green ectoplasm. "Whoever you are. This is for my friend."</p><p>Without further prompting, the two combatants charged each other. The exchange of blows was less elegant than movies and television would lead you to believe. There were no flashy kung fu moves or telegraphed backflips. This fight was fueled by raw aggression pure and simple. There was no such thing as defense at the moment. Whoever dealt more damage would be the victor in this fight.</p><p>Danny forced himself to ignore the pain and push through to the next attack. His opponent was just as relentless. For every blow one of them struck, the other returned the favor and this pattern continued for what felt like an eternity. At the back of the halfa's mind, the part that wasn't consumed by anger and adrenaline, he couldn't help but wonder why. Who was this person? He could feel the malice in every single blow that landed on him. This person wasn't just hunting ghosts for the sake of it. There was hatred and purpose behind the mask.</p><p>Deciding to break the stalemate, Danny grabbed the haymaker aimed at his face and held it long enough to make them both intangible. He made his opponent sink an inch into the concrete rooftop and let go, rendering them momentarily immobilized. The masked hunter's form wavered and the halfa used that opening to strike.</p><p>Danny's glowing green fists hammered away without restraint. His opponent was off balance and couldn't get a good position to defend. The visor started to crack and with all of his strength, Danny brought his hands together and slammed them down. The force of the attack shook the entire rooftop and the small portion the two were standing on collapsed inward.</p><p>Danny was able to levitate down to the next floor but the masked hunter wasn't so lucky. The figure tried crawling away but the halfa lifted him off the ground by the front of his collar. He would never kill. That was a promise he made to himself long ago. His sole mission was to <em>protect </em>humans or ghosts like his friends and family from any threats. Even if they hunted him, he'd never turn on them. Whoever this person was, Danny was in no position to act as judge and jury. It would be so easy too. That was a hard line to cross and there would be no coming back from it.</p><p>"Let's have a little peak before I tie you up."</p><p>Danny ripped off the helmet and gasped. All the fight he had disappeared the moment he got a good look at the person he'd just beaten to a bloody pulp. Blonde hair and blue eyes glared at him as blood poured out of his mouth. The most shocking thing of all was the pure loathing Danny found directed at him. He'd never seen an expression like that from him before.</p><p>No, it couldn't be. How…? Why?</p><p>"Josh…"</p><p>Something cold sunk into his side, forcing him to drop his friend to the floor. Danny almost didn't comprehend the fact that he'd been stabbed with his friend gripping the dagger. He clutched his open wound and stumbled away in a daze. This was a nightmare.</p><p>"That's right ghost." Josh spat out a wad of blood to the side. "I don't know how you know my name but you better remember it. Cause I'll be the one to end you. Maybe not today but soon. Watch your back."</p><p>He tapped something on his wrist and not long after a large hover board crashed through the window. The design was similar to all his ghost weapons as the thrusters gave off a steady hum of magenta colored energy. The blonde limped over to it and climbed onto the platform with difficulty before shooting out into the night sky.</p><p>Danny didn't know how long he just stood there rooted to the spot. His mind refused to comprehend the revelation dropped on him. How could he? He didn't know when it happened but Josh Mankey had become a good friend over time and yet the two of them had fought with the intent to cause the other so much harm. Some friend he turned out to be. He just couldn't accept it.</p><p>Eventually survival instincts took over as Danny began to fly in the rough direction of home. He had to patch himself up before his parents found out. However, the wound began to throb and soon the pain grew too unbearable as his veins felt like they were on fire. There must've been some sort of poison on the blade but for the life of him, Danny didn't know any poison that could work on a ghost. Well, whatever it was, Josh found it.</p><p>Oh boy, the ground was getting real close now. Was it just him or was that car coming straight towards him?</p><p>WHAM!</p><p>Danny barely felt the impact as he landed on the hood of a car that screeched to a complete halt. The momentum rolled him off onto the asphalt. He heard the driver side door opening followed by a gasp. He was already delirious from the immense pain he was in but the person standing over him looked really familiar. Strange, when did her hair get so short?</p><p>"Kim…?"</p><p>He tried to reach out but Danny lost consciousness before his arm even flopped back on the ground.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Two Sons</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>Seven months ago…</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Josh Mankey was on top of the world. How could he not be? Everybody had raved about the mural he spent weeks painting in the park. There'd been a whole crowd taking photos of it and he was seeing some of it being shared online. Plus, he'd finally managed to convince his parents to get him the new electric guitar he'd been eyeing for a while. His bandmates were going to freak once he showed up to one of their rehearsals with that bad boy. Honestly, he couldn't wait.</em>
</p><p>"<em>Yo Josh, wait up man!" Zack, the drummer of their little band caught up to him in the hallway. "You're never going to believe what I just overheard. I'm freakin jealous man!"</em></p><p>"<em>Slow down, dude." Josh said with a smirk. "I know you're already jealous of my good looks but what else did you hear?"</em></p><p>"<em>First of all, you're an ass." Zack elbowed him before throwing an arm over his shoulder. "But dude, I just heard the cheerleaders talking on their way out of practice. Kim freaking Possible is crushing on you hard. I don't know how you did it. You are one lucky son of a bitch you know that?"</em></p><p>
  <em>Josh blinked in surprise when that little bombshell was dropped on him. If he thought his good mood earlier had peaked, he was dead wrong. Not to brag but he'd had his fair share of admirers in the past but this wasn't just some girl. It was Kim Possible! The girl was gorgeous, captain of the cheerleaders, and not only that, she basically saved the world on a weekly basis! She was so out of anyone's league it was a travesty but if his friend was to be believed, she had her eyes on him.</em>
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  <em>Oh yeah, it was good to be him right now.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Josh had been too busy grinning like a loon that he wasn't paying full attention to where he was going and bumped into someone.</em>
</p><p>"<em>Sorry." They mumbled before walking away past him.</em></p><p>"<em>Watch it Fenton!" Zack called back over his shoulder. "Man, what a freak. Can you believe I was actually jealous of the guy? Turns out he was a huge douchebag. Can't believe he'd say those things to his two best friends."</em></p><p>
  <em>Josh glanced at the retreating back of the raven-haired teen before quickly losing sight of him. Of course, he'd heard all the same rumors anyone else did. The blonde hadn't been there during the big fight but from what he knew, it wasn't pretty. From then on he'd basically shut everyone out and preferred to keep to himself. The two of them shared a few classes and he was often either late or too exhausted to follow the lessons. Hard to believe he was the same guy who won the school's first ever soccer trophy during freshman year. Now he was just some loner everyone avoided.</em>
</p><p>"<em>Anyway, dude what's your secret?" Zack nudged him. "How do you land a total babe like Possible?"</em></p><p>"<em>Maybe it's because I actually nail my guitar solos when it counts."</em></p><p>
  <em>Zack scoffed. "You accidentally throw the sticks into the crowd one time and assholes never let you forget it. We'll see who laughs last the next time you guys snap a guitar string or whatever. Come on. We're meeting up at Cooper's house and I cannot wait to see their faces when I tell them Josh Mankey, artist extraordinaire, has caught the attention of the hottest girl in school."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The two friends kept ribbing each other all the way to the home of their bassist to hang out with the rest of their band mates. They weren't the best by any means but they performed for local events a few times and people seemed to like them enough. They often joked that some day they were going to make it big with their songs.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Josh didn't know it then, but his life was about to take a drastic turn that night when a phone call from his sobbing mother delivered the news.</em>
</p><hr/><p>Ann wiped the sweat off her brow as she finally managed to stitch up the large wound. Her patient was still running a bit of a fever but it had gone down considerably compared to when she found him on the road. Thankfully, he only convulsed violently a few times where she had to keep his head steady to avoid any more serious trauma. She made sure to keep a few samples of blood to have it analyzed back at the hospital because his fever was anything but ordinary. If she had to guess, the sharp tool or weapon he was stabbed with had been laced with something that was causing such a visceral reaction. Danny had been sweating profusely and hopefully that managed to flush out most of whatever harmful substance that was circulating his body. With any luck, the worst had passed and he was in stable condition for now.</p><p>Unfortunately for her, now that her hands weren't busy going into her "doctor" mode, the enormous gravity of the situation fell on her like a ton of bricks.</p><p>Danny Fenton, the nice boy Kim was tutoring, had fallen out of the sky and landed on her car looking on the verge of death. If that wasn't confusing enough, he looked different earlier too with snow white hair and a haunting pair of glowing green eyes. The boy had been so delirious he'd mistaken her for Kim when she got out of the car to check on him. His eyes rolled back into his head before two halos of white light transformed him.</p><p>Ann Possible didn't think twice. She quickly gathered him up and buckled him in the back of the car before anyone else could see. Fortunately, the damage to her car was superficial to the point where she could still drive despite the cracked window and the dented hood. She may have gone past the speed limit a few times but time was off the essence and there was no local law enforcement patrolling at the time. The hospital was too far so she went straight home where she hastily set him on the dining table and fetched her med kit from her room and got to work.</p><p>Now here she was, slightly winded but more befuddled than anything else as she stared at the unconscious teen.</p><p>She knew of the rumors that had been circulating recently and she was very familiar with the incident at Kim's school where people claimed that the cafeteria meat had "come alive" to attack the students. Ann even caught a few snippets of that news program her boys loved to watch. However, she was a person who believed in science like her husband and they both scoffed at the idea of these ghosts. But given recent events, it looks like she might have to reevaluate her stance on the matter.</p><p>It was hard to dispute evidence when it was right in front of you.</p><p>What she really wanted to know is how Danny, the boy her daughter was beginning to see as more than a friend if her instincts as a mother were correct, fit into all this. He literally fell from the sky and transformed into his normal self. Did that mean he was a ghost as well? But he had a pulse. It was one of the first things she checked. Do ghosts even have a pulse? Weren't they dead? But if that was the case, what on earth was Danny? Did Kim know about this?</p><p>So many questions floated around unanswered. She had a feeling that if she wanted any, she would have to ask them from the source. For now, the teen's health was her top priority.</p><p>The sound of the telephone made her jump, almost forgetting where she was. Checking the caller ID, it was from the space center. Taking a calming breath, she answered on the third ring. "Hey hun. Still at work?"</p><p>"Yep. The top brass is making us burn the midnight oil on this one I'm afraid." James possible chuckled. "They apparently have some new project to announce and keeping it pretty hush. I'm just calling in to say I might be coming home late or tomorrow morning depending on the announcement."</p><p>"Alright, just make sure to get something to eat once in a while." Ann said, just a tad bit scolding. "I know how much of a one track mind you have when it comes to work. Don't make me come over there and force feed you in front of your colleagues."</p><p>"Ha, that'd be a sight to see." Her husband said. "Don't worry, I will. Well, if I don't get off the clock in the next hour, don't wait up for me. I'll see you all tomorrow. Good night honey. Love you!"</p><p>"Alright, love you too." She hung up the phone and sighed. She didn't know how to feel about what her husband just told her. On the one hand, she didn't want him to work too hard. They weren't strangers to long hours on the job because of how taxing their professions could be. However, on the flip side of things, Ann wasn't sure how she would be able to explain her current predicament to any of her family.</p><p>Kim wasn't due to return until tomorrow and from the looks of things, her husband might be in the same boat. That just left her twin boys who she was supposed to pick up in an hour. She'd originally planned to drop by the Fenton's house a little early to see how her sons were doing. Obviously, the situation had changed dramatically and there was another problem Anne just realized: Did the Fentons know about their son's…condition?</p><p>If she just drove up to them with an unconscious and battered Danny in tow, they would have questions and she wasn't sure how to answer any of them. The mother in her wanted to damn the consequences and return the teen to his parents straight away. Ann knew that if her Kimmy had gotten herself into trouble, she and her husband would want to know about it without delay. But this was beyond the norm and it wasn't like he'd just been caught staying late at a friend's house and drinking booze hidden in an adult's cupboards. Something told her that she needed to tread carefully here.</p><p>Coming to a decision, she picked up the phone once more and dialed a number. She only had to wait for a few seconds before Maddie Fenton answered. "Hello, Fenton residence."</p><p>"Hi, Maddie it's Ann." The redhead said. "I'm just checking in on the boys. How are they? I hope they're not being too much of a handful."</p><p>"Oh Jim and Tim have been a delight to have around." Maddie assured. "They can get a little rambunctious but Jack and I have it handled. We're not showing them anything too dangerous and they're so bright for their age. They learn so fast and I can hardly keep up with all their questions!"</p><p>Ann chuckled at her twin's antics. It was always nice hearing about her children's smarts. "That's great. Um, I know this is a bit sudden but can I ask you for a favor? See, I ran into your son Danny-,"</p><p>"Danny? I've been trying to get a hold of him all night." The worry in Maddie's voice was palpable. "Is he with you? How is he?"</p><p>"He's fine." Ann felt like such a cold-hearted monster for lying to a mother concerned about her son. "In fact, that's part of the favor I was going to ask you about. See, my car broke down on my way home and Danny just so happened to be in the area at the time." Technically the truth. "He helped me push my car all the way home. He's such a nice boy and I feel bad if I just send him on his way at this hour."</p><p>"Oh, that's sweet of him. Can you put him on the phone for me?"</p><p>"No!" Anne winced as she tried to get her panic to subside. "I mean, he's pretty tired. I cooked him a little dinner and set him up in the guest room before he just passed right out. He must have had a long day before we ran into each other."</p><p>"I see." Maddie sighed. "That boy...I worry about him sometimes."</p><p>That just made Ann feel even worse for hiding the truth but she had to push through. She tried convincing herself that there must be a reason Danny was keeping this a secret and until she found out the full extent of this situation she landed herself in, she would keep the status quo. For now, at least.</p><p>"So, I'm guessing you want us to take care of the boys for the night?" Maddie said.</p><p>"As long as it's not a bother."</p><p>The short pause had Anne feeling a little nervous.</p><p>"Hmm, alright." Maddie agreed. "To be quite honest, I personally miss having kids running around the house and it's no trouble at all. I'm sure they wouldn't mind. Enjoy them while their cheeks are still pinchable, Ann. They grow up so fast."</p><p>"I know the feeling and thank you Maddie." Ann sighed in relief. "And you can rest easy about Danny. I'll give him a little stern talk about not calling you when he wakes up. Oh and tell the boys good night for me."</p><p>"Will do." Maddie giggled. In the background, there was a bit of a commotion followed by familiar laughter of two boys. "And give mine a good morning when he wakes up. We moms have to stick together, don't we?"</p><p>"Amen sister."</p><hr/><p>
  <em>Five months ago.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Josh stared at the tape once again, a habit he began to integrate into his morning routine. It was a security tape he'd manage to swipe and make a copy of from his parent's destroyed café. He'd lost count of how many times he watched the same footage over and over again these few weeks.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>His parents were just closing up the business when it happened.</em>
</p><p><em>Those </em>things <em>appeared out of nowhere.</em></p><p>
  <em>The green bulbous octopus phased through the wall followed by a small figure in black and white. They tore and thrashed through the place with little care for anything else besides themselves. His parents ducked for cover under one of the tables while the two freaks of nature battled. His dad tried ushering his mom to the exit but a stray beam of green energy from the more humanoid one caused a shelf to fall. Dad quickly pushed his mom out of the way but in doing so took the brunt of the collapsing furniture.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The blonde's fists clenched as the tape finished, unable to capture the rest of what happened but it didn't matter. He got the gist. He watched this thing so many times that he could recall the entire thing from memory alone. Shutting off the television and stowing away the tape, he quietly made his way down for breakfast but not before stopping just around the corner as he heard his parents speaking in hushed tones.</em>
</p><p>"…<em>are we going to do about this electric bill?" His mom asked. "If we miss another payment, they'll cut us off with no warning."</em></p><p>"<em>I know honey." His dad replied, frustration clear in his voice. "We'll think of something. I'll try asking my parents for another loan. It worked the last time." He gave out a morose little chuckle.</em></p><p>"<em>I don't want to keep asking other people for handouts Anthony!" Mom hissed. "This isn't a joke. We're three months behind on our mortgage and we could lose the house on top of it. Plus, we have to pay your hospital bills and the treatment."</em></p><p>"<em>Don't you think I'm aware of that!" His dad replied in an equally low angry tone. "Look, arguing about this isn't going to solve anything so can we please just do it for this month? It's pathetic I know and I'm sure it's starting to grate on their nerves but it's our best option for now, alright? It's hard enough to look for a job in my condition."</em></p><p>
  <em>Mom huffed angrily and grumbled something Josh couldn't make out. It was then that he decided to go back a couple of steps before making his entrance blatantly obvious. "Morning guys."</em>
</p><p>"<em>Good morning sweetie!" His mom greeted him with a smile. It was amazing how well they hid the traces of their earlier discussion. It was as if it never happened. "We made waffles!"</em></p><p>"<em>Thanks." Josh accepted a plate. He tried to remain upbeat and the delicious breakfast helped just a bit.</em></p><p>"<em>So, I'm sure someone's feeling pretty excited." His dad commented. "Big day today!"</em></p><p>"<em>Why?"</em></p><p>
  <em>His parents shared an incredulous look which left him even more confused.</em>
</p><p>"<em>It's your birthday, silly!" His mom shook her head. "Did you honestly forget?"</em></p><p>"<em>Nah, he's just messing with us." Dad laughed. "Nice try son."</em></p><p>
  <em>Josh tried to match the man's laugh but it felt really hollow as he caught sight of the two crutches leaning on the table next to his father. The doctors said he'd need continuous checkups for his legs and they might never be the same again. Frankly, he did forget that little fact. It was easy considering he had other things occupying his mind lately. A month ago, he would've been stoked for today. He'd planned a big party and everything but it all seemed insignificant now.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Besides, not like he had anyone to celebrate it with anyway. It was amazing how quick his band mates replaced him once he didn't start showing up to practice a few times. They made excuses of course. Said they had a few events lined up and they needed someone to fill in while he needed time to spend with his family but none of them even bothered to check up on him despite their houses being so close to one another.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Some friends.</em>
</p><p>"<em>Well maybe he needs a reminder." Mom winked at him as she pulled something from her side of the table and handed it to him. It was large and heavy. "Happy Birthday, Josh!"</em></p><p>"<em>Don't just sit there, open it!" Dad urged.</em></p><p>
  <em>Josh felt a lump in his throat as he carefully unwrapped his present. He knew what it was the moment he felt the weight of it in his hands. He should've been happy because he'd finally got what he asked for but all he felt was remorse. He should've hinted at something else or just flat out asked for a cheaper gift but he'd been too absorbed wallowing in his anger and hate. His parents had invested most of their savings into that little cafe in the hopes of starting their own little family business. It was doing pretty well too even though it had only been open for a few weeks but now it was nothing more than a wreck. This guitar could have easily covered a month or two of bills with some left over to spend on more important things and yet here it was. He didn't deserve this at all.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>It was beautiful. The instrument fit perfectly in his hands just as it did when he tried it out while he was browsing the store. He couldn't help but gently trace the edges and admire the simple yet elegant design of the guitar he'd always wanted.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He wondered if he could somehow find the receipt and return it without his parents noticing.</em>
</p><p>"<em>He's in shock." Dad chuckled. "Now, hopefully when you get back from school, you can give it a whirl."</em></p><p>"<em>Oh, which reminds me." Mom glanced at her watch. "You'd better be going or you'll be late for school!"</em></p><p><em>His body moved without even thinking, wrapping his arms around both of them and squeezing tight. He didn't trust himself to speak without his voice cracking due to the swell of emotions churning inside of him. Josh was overwhelmed with gratefulness but another emotion burned just as strong. His parents were lucky that Josh was facing away from them or else they might've been concerned by the hateful glare the blonde was shooting into the distance aimed at the </em>things <em>responsible for all of this.</em></p><p>
  <em>One of them in particular.</em>
</p><hr/><p>Danny found himself sitting awkwardly at the Possible's breakfast table the next morning. His shirt was freshly washed of all the blood stains and he now wore them over his clean bandages wrapped around his torso. The wound in his side still stung but the rest of his minor injuries had already faded quite a bit, much to Dr. Possible's shock when she inspected him earlier.</p><p>Kim's mom came back to the table and slid a plate of scrambled eggs and slices of toast in front of him. She also poured him a tall glass of milk. "Dig in. We can talk after."</p><p>The halfa winced when he heard that. It was what he'd been dreading the moment he woke up in an unfamiliar bedroom. Someone had found him and took the time to patch him up. He was still reeling from last night's encounter and now he had to deal with Dr. Possible learning his identity. It was only seven thirty in the morning for crying out loud! Can't the world wait a few hours before sucker punching him with more problems?</p><p>The woman waited patiently for him to finish, nursing her own cup of coffee. Once he did, she placed the dishes in the sink before sitting across from him and looking expectant.</p><p>"So, where should I start?"</p><p>"The beginning would be nice." Dr. Possible said. She didn't sound angry. In fact, she was pretty calm all things considered. "Or how about something simple? Like what happened last night and how did you fall from the sky?"</p><p>Jumping into the deep end, huh? Danny was ashamed to admit how quick he wanted to lie to her. It was better than the alternative. She obviously knew enough to piece a few things together. Honestly, he was just too exhausted to try at this point and so the truth spilled out like a tidal wave. Danny gave her the cliff notes version of his life up to that point. He didn't go too in depth with his ghost fighting and he had enough awareness to leave out a few details, namely Josh's new…persona being one of them. That felt too raw and he wanted to get a better idea of how it happened first.</p><p>Aside from asking for a few clarifications here and there, Ann Possible gave him her full attention and by the end of it, she looked as tired as he felt.</p><p>"Why haven't you told your parents about this?" Ann asked. "I'm sure they'd be able to reverse this somehow if you wanted."</p><p>"Believe me, I've thought about it before but I'm afraid of what comes after."</p><p>"I'm sure your parents would still accept you." Dr. Possible patted his arm comfortingly. "What's the harm in trying?"</p><p>"It's not that." Danny shook his head. "Deep down, I know they'd still love me but I don't want them to blame themselves because of this. It was an accident but there's no denying that it was their invention that did this to me. Imagine if Kim had a brain tumor and you made a mistake in trying to get it out? What if they decide to quit because they felt guilty? I don't want them to lose their passion over this. I've learned to accept these powers as part of myself long ago and I'm okay with that."</p><p>Ann bit her lip, very reminiscent of Kim's mannerisms. "But don't you think they deserve to know? Maybe you should give them more credit. When Kim first started going on her little missions, did you think it was easy for us? I hardly slept the first time she flew across the globe to stop an evil scientist from taking over the world and I still have trouble on some days. Granted it got a little bit easier and I won't deny the pride I feel whenever I turn on the news to see all the good my daughter brings to the world but we parents will never stop worrying."</p><p>Hearing an adult's perspective helped ease his doubts somewhat and he appreciated the insight but the fear remained. He also failed to mention that if he outed his secret to his parents, it wouldn't take them long to connect the dots back to Vlad. Danny could at least hold the man at bay with that agreement between them but once that was thrown out the window…</p><p>…well, best not think about that for now.</p><p>"I'll try." Danny said. "That's the best I can do."</p><p>"That's all a mother can ask for. The same goes for my daughter. I urge you to tell her the truth when you're ready but I don't want to meddle too much." Ann said. "Well, until you do, I'm going to be laying down some ground rules of my own."</p><p>"Wait, what?"</p><p>"That's right." Ann smirked. She put her hands on her hips and gave him that look all parents seem to have when they were about to lay down the law. "I'll keep your secret under one condition. If you ever get injured to a point like last night, you come straight to me young man. No excuses. I have no idea where on earth you learned how to stitch your own wounds but that stops now."</p><p>Danny wisely kept his mouth shut. He wasn't going to tell her that he learned basic first aid from a tutorial video on Youtube. "Yes, Ma'am."</p><p>"Good." Ann smiled. "I'll be giving you pointers here and there whenever you and Kimmy have tutoring sessions at the house. I'm sure she'd also benefit from them."</p><p>The halfa could only just shake his head and chuckle. Joy, more homework. But at least this one would be undoubtedly useful. Glancing out the window of the house, Danny winced as he caught sight of his "landing pad" last night.</p><p>Danny scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Also, I'm really sorry about the car."</p><hr/><p>Monday rolled around sooner than most teens would have liked, especially for members of the cheer squad. It was understandable given that they'd been stranded at an abandoned summer camp on top of getting attacked by some mutant swamp monster who had a grudge against Ron. The doctors and scientists assured them that they've been thoroughly decontaminated of any harmful substances from the lake before sending them all home.</p><p>"And here I thought my weekend was stressful." Monique said, shuddering once Kim finished her recount of events. "I don't even want to think of that nasty creep coming anywhere near me."</p><p>"Tell me about it." Kim sighed. "I'm just really pissed off that it was all an elaborate ploy to get Ron back to that stupid camp. Turns out there wasn't really a competition nearby. We practiced so hard on our new routine and now it's just a waste."</p><p>"Well, there's always football games coming up." Monique tried to cheer her up. "I mean it's not really a game without the half time show."</p><p>She appreciated the gesture but Kim was still pretty ticked off about it as were the rest of the girls when they found out. They spent hours perfecting the timing for the pyramid finale and she was sure they'd get full marks on it but now they would never know. But she'd get over it eventually.</p><p>"So, how's your mom by the way?" Monique asked, watching her grab some books for next period. "I heard she got into an accident?"</p><p>"She's fine." Kim said, "Dad was pretty worried when he saw the car but mom insisted that it was just a minor thing. Said that a motorcycle swerved and the rider unfortunately landed on the hood."</p><p>"Ouch, did the they both make it out okay?"</p><p>Kim nodded. "Mom said he was a little banged up but otherwise fine. They patched things up and my parents are bringing it to the shop to get the car fixed. No big."</p><p>The two girls walked to their next class in silence for a bit but there was one thing Kim had been dying to ask her friend all weekend. Monique hadn't been in the best of moods last time she caught them all spying on their date but it looks like she wasn't angry anymore. She could just be hiding it but her friend didn't seem like the type of person to hold a grudge.</p><p>"So, how'd the rest of your date with Danny go?" Kim asked, trying to act casual.</p><p>"Oh? Why so interested?" Monique smirked coyly. "Are you sure you want to know all the juicy details that happened?"</p><p>Kim's face grew slightly warmer as unbidden images flashed through her mind.</p><p>"Forget I said anything." Kim's pace increased and she could hear Monique giggling behind her as her friend caught up.</p><p>"Relax girlfriend!" Monique playfully bumped shoulders with her. "I was only teasing. Call it a little payback for the stunt you all pulled. Anyway, we didn't do much after we left the skating rink. We saw a movie and took a little stroll through the park. We talked for a bit and he took me home before curfew. Danny was the perfect gentleman all night. Gave him a little peck on the cheek at the end of it."</p><p>Kim actively fought to keep a smile on her face despite her heart plummeting in her chest. "Oh, that's wonderful! So are you guys a couple now?"</p><p>Monique's snort threw the redhead off a bit. "Hate to break it to you Kim but one date doesn't automatically lead to a relationship."</p><p>"But you seemed so into him and you guys looked pretty happy spending time together." Kim said, feeling confused now.</p><p>"Yeah I guess." Monique shrugged. "To tell you the truth Kim, I don't know what came over me that day. I'm surprised I had it in me to just put myself out there and flirt with a boy I barely knew. Don't get me wrong, he's cute, funny, and I had a great time with him but we just didn't click. It sucks but it happens all the time. Honestly, I wouldn't mind being friends with the guy as long as he doesn't have any lingering feelings of his own. Don't want things to be awkward."</p><p>Wow, Kim's emotions were being taken for a rollercoaster ride in the span of a few minutes. She wanted to feel bad for her friend and things not working out but she couldn't deny the elation she felt hearing Monique's admission.</p><p>There was still a chance.</p><p>"Don't worry girl, he's all yours." Monique gave conspiratorial wink and laughed as she saw Kim's deer in headlights look.</p><p>"I don't know what you're talking about." Kim shyly tucked a lock of hair behind her ear.</p><p>Monique raised an eyebrow. "Right, so all those do-me eyes whenever he's not looking mean nothing, huh?"</p><p>"I don't do that…do I?"</p><p>"Girl, you're lucky that boy's as dense as the earth's crust not noticing it." Monique draped an arm over Kim's shoulder. "But between you and me, I think you two would make a cute couple. I've never seen someone look so excited for a tutoring session before and the fact that he's not intimidated by all the missions is a bonus. Lots of guys have an ego the size of a peanut and don't like it when a girl can kick more ass than they can."</p><p>"Tell me about it." Kim could count on more than one occasion when guys would be too hesitant to approach her because they'd already put her on a pedestal when in actuality she was still a teenager like anyone else. She just so happened to know martial arts and save the world every now and then.</p><p>Josh had been great when they dated for a while but his heart wasn't into it and soon the spark had quickly fizzled out. It was clear the blonde had something heavy on his mind whenever they were together and as much as he tried to hide it, Kim could always tell when his mind was elsewhere. She often tried to get Josh to open up to her and maybe she could help with whatever was on his mind but the blonde was good a deflecting until she eventually decided to drop the subject. The two of them eventually broke it off and no feelings were hurt.</p><p>But Danny was different. He was well aware of her extracurricular activities with Ron whenever they went off on missions but he never let that affect their little dynamic with each other. Not only was he sweet but she enjoyed spending time with him too. His jokes were crass but never cruel and she'd seen him rise to the occasion more than once especially when he didn't have to. The guy went one on one with Shego for crying out loud and managed to win!</p><p>To this day she still wasn't sure what he was hiding from her but unlike Josh, he never let it consume him. She could see the guilt in his eyes whenever he had to suddenly take off or cancel for whatever reason. Kim had a feeling that once she earned his trust, he wouldn't hesitate to tell her the truth.</p><p>Maybe she should take a page out of Monique's book. After all, it seemed to have the intended effect. If she wanted to make Danny notice her as more than a friend, she was going to have to be more…direct.</p><hr/><p>"Bonnie, for the last time, the doctors at the lab gave us all a clean bill of health."</p><p>"I'm sorry Tara but did you not see Mr. Barkin grow actual fucking gills after a brief bit of exposure to that sludge?" Bonnie snapped at her blonde friend, checking and double checking her face and neck in her compact mirror for any sign of blemish or anything remotely similar to scales. "That fish face should count himself lucky that he wasn't a ghost or else I'd shove a Fenton Thermos so far up a place where the sun doesn't shine and use him as a sock puppet."</p><p>"Um, should I be concerned?"</p><p>The two girls spun around to see a grinning Danny behind them with his bag casually slung over his shoulder. He looked a bit more haggard than usual but Bonnie didn't hesitate to pull him in for a surprise hug. God, she missed him these past two days and feeling his own arms wrap around her for a bit was pure bliss. She already felt the stress from the last forty-eight hourse melting away. The two of them pulled away and Tara pulled him in for her own brief hug.</p><p>"Easy." Danny winced. "I'm still a little tender."</p><p>"Why? What happened? Are you okay?" Bonnie didn't mean to sound like an overbearing girlfriend but it just slipped out.</p><p>"It's…complicated." Bonnie didn't like the sound of that. "I'll tell you both later."</p><p>"You better." Tara frowned in worry, "It sounds serious."</p><p>"Let's just say my weekend was pretty eventful." Danny said. He looked pointedly at the two of them. "But from what I hear, you guys had an interesting time too. We should compare notes."</p><p>Bonnie huffed. "Don't get me started. As far as I'm concerned, this weekend was a crazy fever dream that never happened and I will forever repress the memories of the events that took place."</p><p>"Ditto." Tara said.</p><p>"I know this is a little late, but I'm really sorry about missing you guys heading off." Danny said. "I should've let you know I wouldn't be able to make it."</p><p>There goes that damn nobility again. It was one of his greatest qualities but it could get really annoying at times.</p><p>Before he could say anything else, Bonnie held up a finger and put it against his lips. "We get it, Danny. You shouldn't have to apologize for that. I admit I was a bit mad that you couldn't answer my texts but I can't really blame you. Just try to keep us in the loop, okay?"</p><p>"Got it."</p><p>"Now that we've got all that stuff out of the way." Tara jumped in, looking at him expectantly with her arms on her hips. Danny gave her a blank stare as she wiggled her eyebrows.</p><p>"What?"</p><p>"Don't 'what' me! How did the date go? We need details!"</p><p>Bonnie tried not to look too interested in the answer to that question and tried to remain aloof despite her burning curiosity. She tried to ignore the mounting dread she'd been feeling the entire time they've been away. Did Danny have feelings for Monique? Where did the pair go after they left? Did they go on another date while they were away? She needed to know and yet was too afraid of finding out.</p><p>His conflicted expression wasn't a good sign in her opinion. "About that…"</p><p>"Hey guys!"</p><p>The trio turned to see Josh Mankey approaching their little group. Bonnie's attention was drawn straight to the big shiner on his face. "What happened to you?"</p><p>"Had a little accident at work the other day. No big deal." Josh casually shrugged. "You should see the other guy."</p><p>Bonnie didn't miss how Danny tensed beside her. She glanced down to see his hands shoved into his pockets but they were clenched tightly into fists. What's gotten into him all of a sudden?</p><p>"Anyways, I remembered how you guys were wanting to try out the Italian place I worked in so I snagged a few of these for you." Josh handed them each a coupon. "It's not much but it beats paying full price am I right?"</p><p>At this point, Bonnie was only paying half attention to the blonde artist. To her side, Danny was trying to get his breathing under control but they still came out as shaky breaths. His eyes were scrutinizing Josh with an intensity that bewildered her. She couldn't exactly pinpoint what he was thinking but one thing was for sure, she hadn't seen him this distressed in a long time.</p><p>Josh picked up on his sudden shift in attitude as well. "You feeling alright dude?"</p><p>"Yeah, might just be a little under the weather." Danny said, but the excuse was obvious and his tone was cold.</p><p>"Well…okay." Josh said, noticing the sudden awkwardness. Tara was also giving Danny an odd look. "Get better man. Just to let you guys know, those things expire in two weeks so better use them fast."</p><p>"You bet. We were actually planning on dropping by this week." Bonnie said, hopefully defusing any tension but the mood was already shot to hell. "Anyway, we should go. Bell's about to ring any minute."</p><p>"Catch you guys later then." Josh said, raising a fist but to everyone's surprise, Danny didn't respond the way he usually did. Josh lowered it in disappointment but Danny refused to meet his eye as he walked off to his next classroom. The guy must've been just as confused as the two girls but was willing to give the raven-haired teen some space.</p><p>"Danny, is everything-?"</p><p>"We should get to class."</p><p>He didn't wait for them as he began heading in the opposite direction from Josh. The two girls shared a worried glance and wordlessly followed, keeping a few paces behind. Obviously, something major went down while they were away and somehow it involved their new friend Josh but the guy seemed oblivious to any offence he might have done.</p><p>It was only then that she finally realized the emotion she couldn't pinpoint earlier. She'd seen it before and Danny now radiated it in waves.</p><p>Betrayal.</p><hr/><p>
  <em>Two months ago…</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Josh crossed his arms as he glared out into the surrounding woods next to the ski lodge. All the guests and students had been advised to stay indoors while the Fentons went out to investigate the disturbance. He also saw Kim spring into action as she commandeered a snow mobile before heading deeper into the woods.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Even now, high up in the cold mountains, those ghosts continued to hound him. They were everywhere lately and he'd finally seen one up close when that lunch lady ghost appeared at school. He shouldn't have been surprised that there would be some lurking around up here as well.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>They were like rats.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>A plague on this world that needed to be wiped out.</em>
</p><p><em>Josh couldn't help but wonder if </em>he <em>was up here too. The bastard who crippled his father and plunged his parents into debt.</em></p><p>"<em>You know, it's not safe to be outside at the moment." A voice spoke up from behind him. Josh glanced back and saw that it was that rich guy Mr. Fenton was harassing. "While I trust my…former colleagues to deal with the situation, I think it would be best to not to leave it up to chance, hmm?"</em></p><p>"<em>I'm not afraid of ghosts." Josh spat angrily.</em></p><p>"<em>Such anger. My apologies, I didn't mean to pry." The billionaire stepped up beside him but kept a respectable distance. "Am I right to assume that you've encountered a few of these specters before?"</em></p><p>
  <em>Josh only grunted in affirmation but nothing more. He wasn't in the mood for small talk with some stranger but the man was persistent, he'll give him that.</em>
</p><p>"<em>Tell me dear boy and forgive a man's curiosity but what would you do if given the opportunity to…stand on even footing with these ghosts?"</em></p><p>
  <em>Were all billionaires this nosey? Whatever, not like it'll ever happen but if he did…</em>
</p><p>"<em>I'd hunt every last one of them down and make sure they stay dead the second time around."</em></p><p>
  <em>If Josh hadn't been so absorbed in his furious thoughts and glanced just a little to the left, he might've noticed the sinister glint in the man's eye. "Interesting."</em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>With this last chapter, the story has caught up to the one on ff.net. The next chapter is in the works and hopefully will be out before the year ends but I make no promises. Anyway, enjoy and tell me what you think</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. New Game</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Hey Danny, how's it going over there?" He heard Bonnie's voice through the Fenton Phones he wore.</p><p>"Oh you know, the usual." Danny responded as he ducked out of the way of a large robotic fist.</p><p>"FOOLISH GHOST CHILD! YOU CANNOT HOPE TO STAND AGAINST ME BECAUSE I TECHNUS, MASTER OF ALL TECHNOLOGY, AM SUPERIOR TO YOU IN EVERY WAY!"</p><p>"Christ, what was that?" Bonnie said. "I think I could hear it all the way from here."</p><p>"You should try hearing it from six feet away." Danny grumbled, firing off a few ghost rays. "It's even more annoying up close. How's everything on your end?"</p><p>"Don't worry, I've got a visual on Josh." Bonnie said. "He's still working his shift here at the restaurant and Tara texted me earlier that she and a few girls from the squad were at Kim's place watching some Oh Boyz. You're in the clear for tonight."</p><p>"Good to know."</p><p>"Bonnie!" Danny heard Mrs. Rockwaller's voice over the coms. "Oh you were right about this place. Even the bathrooms are fancy. Remind me to ask the staff about what kind of scented candles they use for the ladies' room before we leave. Were you talking to someone just now?"</p><p>"Nope!"</p><p>Danny chuckled as the coms abruptly cut off.</p><p>To say that the girls weren't happy with the new revelation of Josh would be an understatement and it had taken a lot of convincing to stop Bonnie from marching over and put the fear of god back in the blonde boy. Now he knew why he suddenly had more free time on his hands lately since there was someone else hunting ghosts other than him. It was a double edged sword in it of itself. Good news, the town had someone else to protect it from supernatural threats. Bad news, Josh was getting a lot of practice taking out ghosts.</p><p>That wasn't even considering the fact that Kim wouldn't be too far behind. He didn't know why Jim and Tim joined the Ghostkateers but he had a pretty good idea as to Wade's intentions. He sat in one of their little meetings at his parents' insistence and the tech genius was mostly interested in how ghost hunting equipment worked.</p><p>As if he didn't have enough problems.</p><p>It had been Tara's idea to keep tabs on his human "rivals" so to speak. The girls had been adamant about helping take some of the weight off his shoulders in any way they could. His two friends would do their best to hinder or distract Kim and Josh whenever they could so that Danny could focus on the threats in front of him without having to look over his shoulder. Of course, it wasn't a foolproof measure. For starters, they couldn't do it too often or else it would just draw unnecessary suspicion. They had to choose their moments carefully to maximize Tara's plan.</p><p>Speaking of which, he should probably focus on his end.</p><p>The large robot cobbled together from scattered pieces of hardware lumbered toward him menacingly.</p><p>"Once I am through with you, then nothing will be able to stop me from gaining dominion over this world's vast collection of machines and circuits!" The ghost's rather loud voice was even more irritating since they came out of large speakers. "And then I, Technus, will be unstoppable!"</p><p>Danny let out a tired sigh as he tried not to wince at the volume of his declarations. This was going to be a long night.</p><hr/><p>"Hey mom, can I talk to you about something?"</p><p>Ann turned to regard her daughter. "Oh, I know that tone. Must be pretty serious. I'm all ears Kimmie."</p><p>Kim flopped on the couch as she tried to figure out where to start. The girls had just left after watching a two-hour live coverage of their favorite boy band but the redhead's heart hadn't been into it. The impromptu get together had been Tara's idea and Kim didn't have any reason to decline. It was a good distraction from her own thoughts for a little while but now that her squad mates had left, her mind immediately returned to what was bothering her for the past few days. She needed advice and there was only one person she turned to for situations like this.</p><p>Her mother sat beside her and gave her full attention.</p><p>"Well, it's about a boy." Kim said.</p><p>"I gathered as much." Mom gave a slight giggle. "You have that same look on your face when you were crushing on Josh."</p><p>Kim groaned. "Am I that obvious?"</p><p>"Only to me." Ann soothingly patted her daughter's head. "So, who is it this time? Is it Danny?"</p><p>Kim sat bolt upright. "How did you know?"</p><p>"Lucky guess."</p><p>Okay, her mom's scarily accurate intuition aside, Kim decided to push through. "Okay yeah, so I'm crushing on Danny hard. I don't know when it started but before I realized it, I began to look forward to spending time with him more and more. Even him being friends with Bonnie doesn't bother me as much as it used to. I used to think anyone who hangs around her a lot would probably share her rotten attitude but it's totally not the case. He's funny, sweet, and kind. Plus, he never treats me differently because of all the 'saving the world' stuff. I can be myself around him."</p><p>"Sounds like the perfect package." Her mom said before noticing the conflicted look on Kim's face. "I'm sensing a 'but'...?"</p><p>Kim grabbed a nearby pillow on the couch and hugged it to her chest. "He's so…secretive. He takes off at the most random times with no explanation and sometimes he comes to school looking ragged. Whenever I ask him about it, he always comes up with an excuse but I know he's hiding something. I think Bonnie and Tara know about it but I can't be too sure. Sometimes I want to confront them about it and get them to spill but…I want it to come from Danny. Maybe I'm asking too much but I want to hear it from him and no one else. Am I being silly, mom?"</p><p>There, she laid it all out on the table.</p><p>"Ah, to be young again." Her mom pulled her into a one armed hug. "You're not being silly Kim, let's get that out of the way. It's normal to have doubts in your situation and don't think for a second you're wrong to have them. Secrets are…complicated things. We hide them from people for all sorts of reasons, both good and bad."</p><p>"So what should I do mom?" Kim asked.</p><p>Ann sighed. "Unfortunately, I think this is something you have to solve on your own. Every circumstance is different and I don't want to give you any advice because it will be from my perspective and not yours."</p><p>"Great." The teen groaned sarcastically.</p><p>"Just do what you think is right and remember that nothing in life is ever as simple as we want it to be." Ann smiled and gave her a little peck on the forehead. "I'm sure you'll figure something out. What's that phrase your father loves to say?"</p><p>"Anything's possible for a Possible." The two repeated in unison before sharing a smile.</p><p>"Speaking of dad, he's been coming home pretty late for the past week." Kim noted.</p><p>"Apparently, he's working on some big new project for the Space Center lately." Mom informed her. "It's heavily classified according to him but he seems pretty excited about it. I just hope he's not pushing himself too hard. Your father tends to get tunnel vision whenever he gets wrapped up in work."</p><p>Kim bid her mom good night as she climbed the stairs to her room. Her mom's words held some merit but they didn't exactly solve her current predicament. Relationships were supposed to be built on trust and how could she pursue someone who actively kept secrets from her? Should she even try to cross that boundary?</p><p>Whatever the case, she was certain of one thing at least. She wouldn't achieve anything without trying.</p><hr/><p>How. <em>Bang</em>. Did. <em>Bang</em>. I. <em>Bang</em>. Lose. <em>Bang</em>. Him?</p><p>Danny felt slightly woozy from lightly banging his head on the door to his locker. It was honestly quite baffling and also kind of embarrassing. One would think that a ghost that shouted out his next move and plans for world domination every five seconds would be easy to track. Nope. Apparently, Technus could be crafty when he wanted. Once Danny had gotten the edge on him, he pulled a swift retreat by somehow phasing into the stop lights and escaped through the wiring. He tried to follow but the ghost was quick to leave the range of his ghost sense.</p><p>"Bad time?"</p><p>Danny was surprised to see Monique giving him a weird look.</p><p>"Oh, hey Monique." Danny casually tried to play off what he was doing. "Just grabbing some stuff."</p><p>"I can see that." Monique glanced at a growing red spot on his forehead. "No Bonnie and Tara today?"</p><p>"Cheer practice." Danny said. "Football game next week. Oddly enough, I think they're more competitive about their new routines than our actual Mad Dogs."</p><p>Monique laughed. "You can say that again. You know it's serious when even Ron starts putting in the work."</p><p>"Want to watch?" Danny offered. "I mean, I've got time to kill and nothing better to do."</p><p>The girl shrugged and they both started to make their way to the gym where the cheerleaders were practicing. Normally, the girls didn't like anyone spectating during their rehearsals but considering how Monique was a friend of Kim's and nobody wanted to mess with Bonnie, they both had a free pass.</p><p>The short walk was made in comfortable silence. Monique had managed to corner him some time after their date and the two of them discussed what their relationship was going to be like moving forward. She'd made it clear that while she enjoyed her time during the whole affair, Monique didn't feel anything else for him. Honestly, Danny was kind of glad. That night hadn't been exactly the best given recent events and after sorting out his own feelings on the matter, he agreed with her assessment.</p><p>Kitty may have taken control and left the girl's memories intact, but it was apparent that Monique was a different person than the quirky ghost. They might not have worked out as a couple but being friends with the girl wasn't too bad. He did have fun in the end and Monique was a good person to hang out with.</p><p>"So, any plans this weekend?" Monique asked.</p><p>"When do I ever have plans for my weekends?" Danny said sarcastically. "I'm sure I'll think of something to do. Or get dragged into whatever it is Bonnie and Tara cook up."</p><p>Monique made a whip cracking sound.</p><p>"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up." Danny said. "You try telling the girls no but then they hit you with that pout."</p><p>Monique giggled. "You and Ron are wrapped around their fingers."</p><p>He didn't even dare dispute that statement. "You?"</p><p>"I've got a late shift at Club Banana." Monique sighed. "Drew the short straw with my co-worker. Whatever, as long as I make the dough to buy me a new pair of designer shoes, then it's worth it."</p><p>The two teens discreetly entered the gym where loud upbeat music blared from the speakers. The Middleton Cheer Squad hardly paid them any attention as they continued to perform for an invisible audience. Off to the side, they spotted their mascot doing flips and spraying fake foam from his mask. Danny and Monique grabbed a spot on the bleachers and watched the show, waiting for their respective friends before calling it a day.</p><hr/><p>Nothing was more divine than a long hot shower after cheerleading practice. At least, it was for Bonnie. She had nothing against working up a decent sweat but she much rather preferred keeping herself looking fresh at all times. Relishing the feeling of the hot water for a few more minutes, she reluctantly switched it off and began to dry herself before joining the rest of the girls in the locker rooms.</p><p>Her teammates were in various stages of getting dressed and Bonnie stepped up next to her locker which just so happened to be next to her captain's.</p><p>"Great work out there today Kim." Hope commended as she and Liz were on their way out. "You were on fire back there."</p><p>"Thanks, you all did pretty well too." Kim replied. "We're going to kill it at next week's football game."</p><p>"Oh wow, is that new lipstick?" Liz pointed out. "The color so suits you."</p><p>Kim smiled gratefully, careful not to smear her newly applied make-up.</p><p>Bonnie's eyes narrowed. Come to think of it, their captain was taking a suspiciously long time to get ready and the redhead was being more meticulous about her looks today. Usually, Kim would be the first one out as she only needed a quick touch up before leaving. The girl was methodical like that but something was up and Bonnie had a hunch as to what it was.</p><p>After all, Kim had put a little too much effort towards the end of their routine when a certain someone had walked into the gym. The triple backflip off their pyramid into a split had been unnecessary.</p><p>"Who're you getting all gussied up for Kimmie-cub?" Bonnie couldn't help but comment.</p><p>Kim scowled at her but continued to brush her hair regardless. "Didn't know that looking your best was a crime Bonnie and even if I was, it's none of your business."</p><p>"So defensive, I only asked." Bonnie shrugged, trying to play it cool. "I could lend you one of my tops if you wanted but I think they'll be a bit…loose on you."</p><p>Bonnie made a point to push her chest out just a smidge, emphasizing her assets and how they filled her bra. Kim tried to act unfazed but she couldn't hide the slight hint of irritation on her face and the fact that her eyes darted down for a fraction of a second. "Appreciate the offer Bon-Bon, but no thanks. Also FYI, there's a reason you're at the bottom of the pyramid and I'm at the top."</p><p>"What's that supposed to mean?!"</p><p>Kim shrugged. "I'm saying that running around the world does wonders for my figure and it's not easy to stay in shape. Wouldn't expect you to understand."</p><p>Oh, hell no. She did <em>not </em>just insinuate something about her weight. "Whatever helps you sleep at night, B-cup."</p><p>Kim slammed her hairbrush down. "You know what, Bonnie? I've had it—"</p><p>"HEY!"</p><p>Both girls, turned to see an angry Tara scowling at them. Jessica and Crystal were stealing discrete glances at the drama unfolding but opted to remain silent.</p><p>"Jeez, just kiss already you two!" the usually calm and bubbly blonde said. "You're like an old married couple, I swear."</p><p>"She started it!" the two rivals pointed at the same time, only causing them to glare at each other.</p><p>"Yeah, well I'm ending it." Tara forcibly separating the two. "Is it too much to ask for a day without any of you starting something with each other? One day!"</p><p>"Tch, whatever." Bonnie huffed.</p><p>Kim chose to ignore her and gave herself a quick once over in the mirror before exiting the locker room. The redhead looked hesitant for a moment before gaining a determined look that sent warning bells inside Bonnie's brain. The pieces began to fall into place. The extra effort into her appearance today, the showboating during practice, and now the indecision replaced with resolve.</p><p>"Bonnie, where are you going?"</p><p>She didn't have time to answer her friend. Bonnie didn't even bother blow drying her hair or even brushing it for that matter and she probably looked like a mess but she couldn't care less at the moment. She knew exactly what the redhead was up to and the mere thought of it happening drove her up the wall.</p><p>Kim could have anything else in the world. Anyone else. But she had to notice <em>him </em>out of everyone she could have possibly picked. She dated Josh Mankey for crying out loud, arguably the most desirable guy in school! She knew girls that would kill for the chance to be in her shoes. Wasn't that enough for her?!</p><p>The doors to the gym slammed open as Bonnie hastily trailed behind her captain, quickly scanning left and right for any sign of Danny but all she found were Kim and Monique.</p><p>"Damn girl, are you okay?" Monique stared at her in concern. "Where's the fire?"</p><p>"Where is he?" Bonnie demanded. She didn't bother beating around the bush. "Danny was just here and he wouldn't leave without me or Tara. Spill it Symone!"</p><p>"Huh, what a coincidence." Monique glanced between the two girls and it was apparent Kim had just asked her the same question. The redhead was obviously disappointed as well. "Sorry girls, but someone else beat you to him."</p><hr/><p>"Breathe Ron. Take it easy and breathe. Deep breaths-that's it. There we go. Nice and easy. Okay, let's start at the beginning and let's try and use actual words this time, alright?"</p><p>Ron held up a finger as he tried to get his thoughts in order and Danny waited patiently for the blonde to compose himself. The dude came up to him like a madman and dragged him off to a private spot just outside school before he could get a word in. Rufus climbed up his owner's shoulders and patted his head comfortingly.</p><p>"Okay, I'm good." Ron sighed. "You play Everlot, right? The new one that just came out?"</p><p>Danny blinked. "Uh, yeah. I mean Tara ordered us both copies so we could play."</p><p>"Awesome, you've got to teach me how to play!" Ron grabbed the front of Danny's shirt. "Please man! I'm begging here!"</p><p>"Okay, personal space please." Danny gently pried himself away from his grasp. "First of all, why's this a big deal all of a sudden? Thought you were into blasting and racing kind of video games."</p><p>"I might've sort of lied to Zita that I'm a high level Everlot player to impress her and now I've dug my own grave with no way out."</p><p>Danny pinched the bridge of his nose. "And why are you coming to me for help? I mean, can't Wade help you with this? I'm pretty sure he knows all the tricks to show you the ropes of the game. I think he's even at a higher level than me!"</p><p>"Yeah, I bet he could but this isn't just about me getting good at the game!" Ron explained. "It's about me getting a chance to go out with this girl I'm crushing on. Wade's too young to understand. Plus, you're the only guy I know who has actually had some luck in that department. Monique had nothing but good things to say about your date. Please, dude! This humble peasant beseeches you!"</p><p>Danny was struck with a major case of déjà vu. Not too long ago, it was him on the other side of this conversation and regardless of what their current relationship with each other was, Josh had pulled through for him despite his baggage. He needed to do something about that soon. Plus, there was this crazy ghost on the loose but maybe Josh could take this one. It might not be the best idea to let the Red Hunter have free reign but he could probably ignore it for a few nights to help a friend.</p><p>Ron was a decent guy and he was a good friend. He'd been one of the few he had during his "emo phase" after his huge argument with the girls. They hadn't been especially close but the guy certainly knew how to cheer someone up when they needed it.</p><p>How could he refuse?</p><p>"Alright, sure." Danny said, making a mental apology to Tara. She knew that his best friend was crushing on Ron and yet here he was acting as his wingman to get another girl. Oh boy, hopefully the girl didn't catch wind of this. "Just grab a copy of the game and I'll log in tonight."</p><p>"Booyah!" Ron held his hand up for a high five and Danny obliged, chuckling at the blonde's enthusiasm. "The world of Everlot shall soon bow before the power of The Ron-man!"</p><p>"Bold words young knave." Danny said. "Let's see if you're still high and mighty later on. I hear Zita's pretty good. It's going to take a lot to impress her."</p><p>Ron waved it off. "Psh, I can handle it. What could go wrong?"</p><p>Danny smacked his own forehead. "Did you have to tempt fate like that? The hell's wrong with you? That's just asking for trouble."</p><hr/><p>Meanwhile, two middle school boys were making their way home excitedly chattering about their plans for tonight. Well, one of them was at least.</p><p>"Dude, I'm so pumped. I just bought a copy of Everlot II yesterday!"</p><p>"Lucky! I've been mowing the lawn for my neighbors every weekend and it's still not enough to get my own. I've begged my parents for some extra allowance but no dice."</p><p>"Sucks to be you dude."</p><p>"What class are you gonna be?"</p><p>"I don't know, something cool maybe a rogue or warlock!"</p><p>"Hey, did you hear about the grand event the developers are doing?"</p><p>"Hell yeah! I hear that if you find the secret dungeon and defeat the boss, you get access to their entire server for a few minutes and you can do whatever you want!"</p><p>"If I can win that thing, I'd change everyone's usernames to dickfarts permanently. That'd be hilarious!"</p><p>"Gotta buy a copy first before you talk all that shit."</p><p>"Shut up!"</p><p>The two kids bickered and continued talking, never noticing the slight static in an electronic store they passed on the way home. If one were to look closely, they would swear that the television displayed a grinning spectral face of a person followed by laughter.</p><p>A green spark began to traverse along the power cables before vanishing further into town searching for the nearest computer with access to this…Everlot.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>And done. Short update I know but most set up chapters are. So, here we are with the brand new arc starring one of my personal favorite DP villains. I just love every episode with Technus in it. He's the right amount of threatening and hilarity. He's like the Dr. Octopus of the DP universe. So, let's see where this goes. Hope you enjoyed it and till next time!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Humble Beginnings</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Heyo, Happy New Year everybody!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Michael, dinner time!"</p><p>"Aw, Mom! I just sat down!"</p><p>"I'm not having it today mister!" A stern voice replied. "You can play your video games later but I need you to wash up for dinner."</p><p>"I'll eat later!"</p><p>"Don't make me come up there, young man!"</p><p>"Ugh, fine!" The disgruntled twelve year-old stomped out of his room, leaving the computer turned on with the Everlot II main menu displayed.</p><p>Technus chose that moment to drop his invisibility. He thought the brat would never leave. Now, he could finally get to work.</p><p>During his brief travels through the internet in order to escape that Phantom nuisance, he was able to gleam some more information on this game. The company that created it had partnered up with another corporation in order to design the operating system: Axiom Labs. Official statements from both claimed that it would be the first step in the advancement of software all across the globe.</p><p>As he was right now, Technus would grudgingly admit that he was no match for that halfa but that can be rectified soon enough. With access to the game's servers, he could control thousands of computers all at once and by then it would be too late for anyone to stand against him.</p><p>Not wanting to waste any time, Technus dove into the computer and began to integrate himself into the Everlot game file. The ghost laughed but his excitement quickly died out. Something was wrong. The system was blocking him.</p><p>
  <em>[Warning: Anomaly Detected]</em>
</p><p>Growling, Technus pushed deeper and forced his way through the rather impressive fire wall in his way.</p><p>
  <em>[Warning: Virus Found]</em>
</p><p>
  <em>[Initiating Termination Procedures]</em>
</p><p>Technus screamed in pain as the system launched a vicious defensive protocol. He never could have anticipated the level of sophistication the system had to offer. Not only was it quick to discern his entry, its assault was brutal and swift. Plus, it was working. He could feel parts of himself being chipped away and deleted.</p><p>He needed to act. Latching onto a particular strand of code, he began to write a little programming of his own. The software was too advanced for him to override but perhaps he could convince it that he was of no threat.</p><p>
  <em>[Error: Virus Termination Incomplete]</em>
</p><p>
  <em>[Scanning….]</em>
</p><p>
  <em>[No Virus Detected]</em>
</p><p>Technus sighed in relief but he couldn't afford to relax just yet. He'd been able to avoid being completely eradicated from existence but just barely. He needed to be cautious from here on out. The code he managed to input painted him as a non-threat to the system but in doing so he'd limited himself to play by the system's rules. If he stepped out of line, the system would immediately detect him and he wasn't sure he could survive another onslaught.</p><p>No matter. It was a minor inconvenience at best. Once he had complete control, the system would pose no danger to him and it would follow his commands in time. However, Technus needed a way to win the game first and foremost. Scrolling to the main menu, he tapped on one of the options.</p><p>
  <em>[Character Creation: Would you like to create your character?]</em>
</p><hr/><p>Danny sliced the arm of another ogre, dealing a minimum base damage of 200 but that was doubled due to his Critical Strike ability as a rogue. Plus, his magic dagger dealt another 50 cold damage adding to his total. He refrained from giving the final blow. "Now, Ron!"</p><p>The blonde sprung from his nearby hiding place and stabbed the monster who looked to be on his last legs. Ron's plain short sword was enough to finish it off, the ogre collapsing onto its back.</p><p>There was a noticeable ping sound above Ron's head.</p><p>
  <em>[Level up!]</em>
</p><p>
  <em>[Username: Ron_theunstoppable]</em>
</p><p>
  <em>[Level 12 Bard]</em>
</p><p>"Hey, about time!" Danny said, sheathing both of his daggers. "Now we can finally go on the interesting quests."</p><p>Ron, or at least his character, was panting heavily. "That wasn't interesting? I almost died two or three times in that!"</p><p>"Nah, you kidding me?" Danny moved through the ogres and started looting the bodies. He tossed aside the more common items he deemed worthless and only managed to wrangle up a few stray coins and furs that could be sold. "This is the easy stuff. I wanted to throw you straight into the deep end because frankly we don't have the time for you to grind levels. Then I remembered that a lot of the quests have a level cap and you can't accompany me unless you meet the requirements."</p><p>Danny handed him all the valuables he managed to find. At his level, the items were pretty much useless to him but Ron needed all the gold he could get his hands on. So far, they were making good progress. In only two hours, Ron was already at level twelve whereas normally you needed to slog through the lower level quests to gain exp. In all honesty, the ogres had been a bitch to kill when he and Tara started out but now it was nearly effortless.</p><p>
  <em>[Username: DFenton987]</em>
</p><p>
  <em>[Level 35 Rogue]</em>
</p><p>"Come on, let's head back to town and get you decked out." Danny said, leading the trek through the woods. "With three quests done and a little loan from me, you should have enough to get some upgraded equipment. Nothing too fancy. The really good stuff come from monster drops and treasure hordes."</p><p>"Oh man, I hope we don't run into Zita just yet. Can you imagine what she'd say if she saw my character looking like this after running my mouth? She's going to think I'm a fraud!"</p><p>"I know that I agreed to help you and all Ron, but you have to tell her eventually. You shouldn't have to put up a front to get someone to like you."</p><p>The blonde sighed. "I know but I just panicked! I heard them talking and she was there being all excited about it. It was the only other thing I knew about her aside from her job at the movie theatre and I just jumped on it."</p><p>"Well, not much we can do about it now. And hey, you're not exactly a total fraud. You're playing the game and you're getting the hang of it. Pretty soon, you'll be able to impress her with your skills. Just think about what I said, okay?"</p><p>The town soon came into view and the duo stopped just before exiting the tree line. Danny had come up with a plan early on so that to a casual observer, it would seem like Ron handled the quests all by himself. The main idea was to not be seen together. The blonde would go into town by himself and Danny would follow a little later but from a distance. "Alright, you know the drill?"</p><p>"Get the quest rewards and go buy some new equipment." Ron nodded but was still a little nervous. "How do I know which stuff to get?"</p><p>"If you can find something that could amplify or help with your spellcasting, that would make a huge difference. Since you're a Bard, try buying an instrument." Danny answered. "Armor won't help you much since that can affect your magic and besides, Bards aren't heavy on frontline combat. Maybe get a Ring of Protection. It's not a lot but it should tank some stray shots thrown your way during a scuffle."</p><p>"Got it."</p><p>"Now that you've reached level twelve, you can pick a higher level quest from the board. Let's start with something doable like a B-Class quest." Danny told him. "I'll leave you to it and follow you out of town just like before. Good luck man."</p><p>Danny flipped the hood of his cloak and vanished. Well, not completely. His Cloak of Shadows didn't really turn him invisible but merely obscure his physical form. Anyone with a high enough perception would still be able to spot him but it was still useful for making quick escapes when the enemy was distracted.</p><p>He kept the blonde in his line of sight before ducking into another street. Danny had taught him the basics of how the game mechanics worked so he was confident that Ron could find his way around with little trouble. Additionally, they needed to sell the image that he was a strong player and it would be plainly obvious to anyone that was not the case if they saw the two of them together.</p><p>Things were going well but he believed that none of this would have been necessary if Ron just stopped beating around the bush and bit the bullet. So he lied, big whoop. He was pretty sure a lot of guys acted the same way in front of the girl they liked. The next logical step would be for the guy to fess up and accept the girl's decision to forgive or be mad. He had a feeling it would be worse if Ron was exposed and didn't have a chance to explain himself.</p><p>
  <em>You're one to talk, Fenton.</em>
</p><p>Danny couldn't help but sigh, barely acknowledging the sights around him. NPCs wandered about, peddling wares and trading with real life players who needed supplies. He passed through a few stalls and absently refilled a few items in his inventory. He knew he was being hypocritical spouting all of this advice to Ron. After all, he was in the same boat.</p><p>A certain redhead had been on his mind lately. She would weave her way into his thoughts at the most random times too. How she gives out a cute little snort when something makes her really laugh. The way she would tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear while doing homework and how adorable her little puppy dog pout was. How soft her lips felt on his cheek after their mission to Wisconsin…</p><p>He fell for Kim Possible, no doubt about it.</p><p>"Good job, Fenton." Danny muttered to himself. "You enjoy making life difficult for yourself, huh?"</p><p>It wasn't even the fact that she was one of the most desirable girls in school or that she saved the world on a weekly basis. Hell, his secret identity might be less of a problem. No, the issue was another girl in his life that was just as important. Bonnie's rivalry with Kim was sure to cause major complications down the road and the two of them could barely stand each other on a good day.</p><p>Hopefully he could convince his best friend that nothing would change if, and that was a big if, he ever did muster up the courage to ask Kim out. He would still make time for her and Tara just as he was sure Kim wouldn't completely neglect Ron. If he knew anything about Bonnie in all their time growing up is that she hated big changes that happened too quickly.</p><p>Danny sighed. Why couldn't things be easy for once?</p><p>He pondered about his situation for a bit until he saw a bit of commotion up ahead. A fair number of players were gathering around the quest boards but it didn't seem like a line. He could hear excited murmurs from their open mics. As he inched closer, Danny spotted a dash of yellow hair through the crowd talking to two other players and his stomach sank.</p><p>"Oh, boy." Danny started pushing through the throng of players. "Fifteen minutes, Ron. I take my eyes off you for fifteen minutes."</p><hr/><p>Ron walked out of the clothes shop and admired his new wardrobe. Gone were the filthy peasant rags he started with. Now he sported some nice leather trousers with a clean white billowy shit and a short purple robe on top. On his belt was a plain lute for his spellcasting and as Danny recommended, a Ring of Protection that added +2 to his Defense sat on his finger. Unfortunately for him, all of the gold they'd earned had been spent on this purchase which means they needed to earn some more.</p><p>"Wait til' Zita gets a load of me." He ran a hand through his hair, hoping to look suave. "Next stop, quest board."</p><p>Taking the familiar route into the central square, Ron fell into step along with other players who either had the same destination in mind or had business elsewhere. It hadn't been easy at first but he was starting to get the hang of this RPG game. Personally, Ron wasn't a fan of the multitude of rules and lore you had to learn in these types of games which is why he preferred simple ones. But he had to say, once you know the ropes, he could see why a lot of people find it appealing.</p><p>Once he arrived, he joined the many players in scanning the numerous quests available. Now that he had access to the higher level jobs, he had a wider variety to choose from. Ron whistled as he noted the rewards were significantly better as well. 200,000 gold to slay a Boneclaw. 350,000 gold to retrieve an item from an orc war band. 500,000 gold for the head of an adult White Dragon?!</p><p>Ron gulped as the trend continued and he noticed that the crowd around him had thinned considerably on this board except for one or two high level players who were giving him a curious look. They were probably wondering what a noob like him was doing and frankly, he couldn't blame them.</p><p>"Ron? Is that you?" a familiar voice sent a jolt of panic through him.</p><p>Oh crap.</p><p>"Hey, Zita." Ron turned and tried to calm his thumping heart. Man, even her game avatar was hot! Clad in light armor that was made for mobility and speed with a magic longsword on her back, she lived up to her username.</p><p>
  <em>[Username: Z_warriorqueen]</em>
</p><p>
  <em>[Level 44 Champion]</em>
</p><p>"I thought that was you." Zita greeted. She then noticed the quest board behind him or more specifically the difficult kinds he was glancing at. "Wow, you sure don't mess around. Most people wouldn't even consider picking A-Class quests until they hit level 30. Are you sure you can handle those?"</p><p>"Psh, I mean sure most people would but not me. I mean I'm awesome." Ron lied through his teeth. "I don't really have time for all the boring stuff. In fact, I just killed a few ogres all by myself a few minutes ago."</p><p>"Whoa, that's amazing!" Zita said.</p><p>"Get real." Someone scoffed. A large figure in heavy black armor approached. "There's no way a noob like you could've pulled it off."</p><p>
  <em>[Username: Wraithmaster]</em>
</p><p>
  <em>[Level 50 Oathbreaker Paladin]</em>
</p><p>"Did too!" Ron rebutted, whipping out a piece of parchment. "In your face, Malcolm!"</p><p>"Looks pretty legit to me." Zita said after she inspected the quest paper along with the certified completion seal.</p><p>"Yeah, right." Malcolm sneered. "Like a support class could take on five ogres on his own."</p><p>"What can I say? I got skills."</p><p>Zita snickered at his comeback but only served to infuriate the other boy. At this point, their little spat had drawn a crowd of other players watching the drama unfold. To be perfectly honest, the only reason Ron was so confident was the fact that Danny explained earlier that PvP wasn't allowed in player hubs like these. Thank God because look in Malcolm's eye told him he wanted to turn him into paste.</p><p>Malcolm grunted. "Skills? More like cheats. I bet you got someone to boost your character for you. Let me guess, they did all the hard work while you reap all the quest rewards and exp, isn't that right?"</p><p>Ron had to hold back a wince as he hit the nail on the head. He had to give it to the guy, he knew his stuff. The blonde felt all eyes turn to him and he felt sweat forming at the back of his neck. "Uh, well…"</p><p>A window popped up in front of him.</p><p>"Well what, knave? Spit it out." Malcolm looked smug and Zita was beginning to frown as well. He was taking too long to respond and Malcolm was starting to make sense. Fortunately, they didn't seem to notice the message that appeared in front of him. No one did.</p><p>Ron took a deep breath. Here goes nothing.</p><p>"Ever heard of speed running?" Ron said with all of the confidence he had left. His eyes darted to the floating message only he could see. "Playing the game and grinding levels is cool and all but it's a little slow don't you think? I'm in it for the thrills and chills. Sure I could work my way up but why wait? I think it's a lot more fun when you're under-leveled and undertake more difficult jobs. It adds more stakes and makes it all the sweeter when you actually accomplish it in record time to boot."</p><p>The crowd of players around them began to murmur excitedly as his words seemed to resonate. A lot of them looked impressed and even Malcolm was at a loss for words. But all of them didn't matter as the only person's reaction he cared about was Zita's and it seemed like she was seeing him in a new light.</p><p>Getting swept up in the atmosphere, Ron thought why stop here? Go big or go home.</p><p>Without even looking, he reached behind him and grabbed the first parchment his fingers touched. "Check it out, I just got me my next big quest. Booyah!"</p><p>Zita's eyes widened when she saw what was written on the parchment. "Ron, that's—,"</p><p>Malcolm reared back his head and laughed. "It was nice knowing you, knave. Your arrogance will be your downfall."</p><p>Ron turned the parchment around to stare at the quest he just accepted.</p><p>It didn't seem that bad. The reward was a whopping 1.2 million gold to kill some monster.</p><p>What the heck was a Dracolich anyway?</p><hr/><p>It was a pensive duo that sat around a small campfire. Danny could only stare blankly at the parchment Ron had blindly snatched.</p><p>"So, what do you think about our chances?"</p><p>"At this point, you'll have better luck finding a new girl to date."</p><p>"Aw come on, it can't be that bad."</p><p>Danny gave him a deadpan stare. "Do you even know what this monster is?"</p><p>"Sure I do, it's a draco-thingy. What's so bad about that?"</p><p>Danny abruptly stood up. "Well, we had a nice run but I think we should call it quits. I'm sorry about Zita dude but there are plenty of fish in the sea."</p><p>"Wait, wait, wait!" Ron hastily slung an arm over his shoulder, stopping him from leaving. "We can't quit now that we're finally making progress! You saved my bacon earlier with that private message and did you see how impressed Zita was? Dude, one more push and I can finally make my move! Please, Danny!"</p><p>Danny groaned. "Ron, I'd love to help, really I would but I'm not a miracle worker here. Our situation just went from bad to nearly impossible. We could probably have scraped by going on a B-Class quest but there's a reason players form parties consisting of different classes dude. Each party member fulfills a role during a mission. Tanks. Healers. Spellcasters. Damage Dealers. And a regular dragon is hard enough on its own but a Dracolich? We need at least four other people with us and even then it might not be enough." Danny pinched the bridge of his nose.</p><p>He felt the blonde slump beside him and Danny patted his back reassuringly. He felt bad for him but there was no plausible way to accomplish this quest as they were. His speed running excuse might pull the wool over most people but it wouldn't take much to find out that Ron had been fibbing, especially given their latest quarry. Rankings and levels existed for a reason. Even if they could find some players to fill in, Ron's secret would be out and it would only make him look that much worse. It was a lose-lose situation no matter how you looked at it.</p><p>"I guess you're right." Ron glumly admitted. "Oh man, Zita's never going to talk to me again!"</p><p>"Hey, you never know." Danny tried his best to stay upbeat. "I'm positive that she's not that shallow and on the off chance that she gives you so much crap over a video game then I think you dodged a bullet."</p><p>"Thanks." Ron gave him a half grin. "You were a great wingman dude."</p><p>"Oh he was, was he?"</p><p>The familiar voice and sickeningly sweet tone made Danny jolt. Self preservation instincts kicked in before he shot to his feet and tried for his best winning smile. "H-Hey Tara, fancy seeing you here. I didn't know you were going to be online tonight. Oh hey, Trinket's looking extra adorable today did you do something to him?"</p><p>Stepping into the firelight was a lithe figure clad in almost similar leather armor as Danny. She had a Bow and a full quiver of arrows on her back. Beside her was a hulking brown grizzly bear.</p><p>
  <em>[Username: Tara_Roxxx]</em>
</p><p>
  <em>[Level 35 Ranger]</em>
</p><p>
  <em>[Animal Companion: Trinket]</em>
</p><p>Danny felt a shiver run through him as his friend's smile was a little too sweet while her eyes told a different story.</p><p>"Hi, Danny. I was just on my way to <em>our</em> secret campsite when I overheard the most <em>fascinating </em>conversation. Care to share?"</p><hr/><p>A group of players were huddled around a cave entrance as they contemplated their plan of attack.</p><p>"Alright, we know the Gnolls are hidden somewhere in these tunnels but you never know what else might pop up, so keep a tight formation around me. Let me tank all the damage while casters can do long range spells." The Paladin drew crude figures on the ground.</p><p>"Hello! Excuse me fellow players!"</p><p>The group of six turned to the newcomer, clad in simple black and green robes, who was exiting the tree line. He waved his hands non-threateningly and approached slowly so as to not evoke any hostility.</p><p>"May I join your little expedition?" The newcomer asked.</p><p>The Mage of the party snorted. "Dude, how old are you? You sound at least fifty years old."</p><p>"I-uh, am trying out this hip new game that my…grandson! Yes, grandson is talking about so much. I am still learning the mechanics of the system but I will adapt soon enough."</p><p>"Look gramps, our party's pretty full." The Druid crossed her arms. "Find someone else to team up with. The loot is already spread thin as it is."</p><p>"Hey come on, don't be toxic." The Paladin said, feeling sympathetic. "He's just a newbie. Okay dude, we'd be happy to show you the ropes and such but we already agreed we'd be splitting the rewards for this quest among ourselves. Sorry."</p><p>"Oh, it's no bother. I would gladly lend what aid I could give in exchange for information about this fascinating game that my grandson…uh Michael! Yes, Michael loves to play."</p><p>"Great, so maybe just stay at the back and let us handle anything that comes our way. If we find some low level items we don't need, we might just give them to you. Sound good?"</p><p>
  <em>[Username: Technus]</em>
</p><p>
  <em>[Level 2 Sorcerer]</em>
</p><p>"That is acceptable." The ghost grinned.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Okay, this chapter also ended up being kinda short and I apologize for that. Don't worry, a long one is coming. I just need to get these set ups out of the way to get to the real fun stuff.</p><p>Also, if you haven't noticed, I've gotten into Dungeons and Dragons lately. A lot of the references are from the game since it really seems like the granddaddy of all rpg's. Don't stress too much about the game mechanics since I'm just throwing in all the common tropes of Fantasy RPG games. Also hope it's not too confusing but I'll just stick to the same POV whether they're in or out of the game since it's pretty weird if I just write them as playing a game on a computer.</p><p>Anyway, hope you enjoyed and again, Happy New Year!</p><p>PS. Props to anyone who knows where I got the inspiration for Danny and Tara's classes and character design.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. Slay</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Just want to say I'm so glad some of you caught that Critical Role reference last chapter. Hats off to you. It was just a little thing I decided to throw in cuz why not? But that's all it is, it's not gonna affect the story too much. Now, it's time to get to the meat of this little arc.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Ow, ow, ow, okay seriously ow!" Danny couldn't decide what was worse: the light pounding of Tara's fists on his chest or the petulant glare she continued to give him. It was honestly quite adorable but he didn't want to prolong his punishment so he refrained from commenting.</p><p>"You big stupid traitorous jerk!" Tara huffed after one last light hit. They were standing in front of Tara's locker waiting for the next period. "I can't believe you didn't tell me about Ron! You know I'm crushing on him and yet you try and hook him up with Flores without even telling me?!"</p><p>"I, uh plead the Fifth?"</p><p>He received another light smack on the chest.</p><p>"Okay, I deserved that one." Danny rubbed the spot. "Look it was a spur of the moment thing and to be fair, I've only been showing him the ropes of how to play Everlot so far. We haven't exactly made a lot of progress with the dating front."</p><p>"Hmph!" Tara crossed her arms and turned her back to him.</p><p>"Oh come on, don't be like that." Danny was having flashbacks of pranks gone wrong back in middle school where Tara had fallen victim to one of his by accident. In his defense, the intended target had deserved it for putting itching powder inside Danny's jacket but he never expected his friend to switch seats with the kid during second period. The super glue she inadvertently sat on ruined her new skirt and Tara had given him the silent treatment for days. "Let me make this up to you."</p><p>He knew she was listening even though she was facing away from him.</p><p>"Okay, so I promised Ron I'd help him and I can't go back on that." Danny rushed to continue after another glare shot his way. "But! It doesn't mean I can't warn you of our plans beforehand."</p><p>Tara's interest was piqued. "Keep going."</p><p>"Say Ron and I were planning on meeting up at an undisclosed location to team up for a really difficult quest and you just so happened to be in the area too. Then you'll have no choice but to tag along. I can't promise anything but you'd at least be spending more time with him than Zita is. Hey, he might even be open to the idea that someone else is having the hots for him given enough hints...maybe a lot of hints but you get the picture."</p><p>Tara looked to be considering it before holding up a finger. "Fine, but I also want your Boots of Haste."</p><p>"What?!" Danny exclaimed in disbelief. He crossed his arms in an X pattern. "No way! We agreed on the loot fair and square when we killed that Swamp Hag. You got to keep the Flying Carpet and I got the Boots of Haste."</p><p>Tara started to walk away and Danny groaned. "Fine! Fine, okay you can keep my Boots of Haste."</p><p>Her expression did a complete one eighty. "You've got a deal!"</p><p>Danny couldn't believe he let her guilt trip him into giving away one of his most useful items. Being a speedy rogue was awesome as hell. He could duck in and out of an enemy's combat range and he got extra attacks which meant more chances to crit. It was practically made for him! But it was either that or a grumpy Tara.</p><p>Pissed off best friend or boots that made him go brrrt...</p><p>Danny sighed.</p><p>Great, now he had to juggle two of his friends and play matchmaker for both of them. Unfortunately, the two blondes had eyes for different people.</p><p>And he thought ghost hunting was hard.</p><hr/><p>"Got two on me! Two on me!"</p><p>"Need healing!"</p><p>"There's three more coming in from the back!"</p><p>"Need healing!"</p><p>"I just healed you ten seconds ago! How the fuck are you almost dying again?!"</p><p>"Need healing!"</p><p>"Fuck you! Drink a potion!"</p><p>"Die you Gnoll cocksuckers!"</p><p>Technus had never seen such a disorganized group of people until today. The party's "teamwork" had dissolved within the first two minutes into the dungeon raid and now the battlefield was a messy free for all against the dungeon's minions. Humanoid dog creatures called Gnolls were swarming the cavern they wandered in after the Barbarian had clumsily triggered a trap.</p><p>The disguised ghost was told by the party leader to hang back and observe from a safe distance. He was positioned behind the main scuffle while the party kept a rough semi-circle around him. Far from the action as he was, Technus didn't remain idle. With every encounter, he was beginning to learn more and more about the game's mechanics.</p><p>He cared very little for his new companions since they were merely constructs in this system that would "Respawn" at their last determined checkpoint. And even if they weren't, they were just meat bags in the material world he would soon control. But he had to be patient.</p><p>"Watch out!" The Paladin cried in warning as a Gnoll slipped past him and rushed straight toward Technus.</p><p>On pure instinct, Technus went intangible and the creature's sword passed harmlessly through his form. He didn't let the creature recover and used one of his basic fire spells to reduce the Gnoll's health to zero.</p><p>
  <em>[Level Up!]</em>
</p><p>"Nice one!" The Paladin complimented as he slammed his glowing mace onto the skull of another one. "You're getting the hang of it dude. Just try and assist whenever you can!"</p><p>Technus ignored his words of encouragement in favor of acknowledging this new development. No one else seemed to notice with how occupied they were. He was half expecting the system to lash out like before for unintentionally using his ghost powers but for some reason, it didn't detect him as an anomaly this time. What had changed?</p><p>Curiously, he opened his status bar where all his character information was stored. After a brief scan, he could see that his increased level had granted him a few new boons and spells but none of them were related to his ghost powers. He was now two levels higher than he was previously due to the Experience Points he gained merely from the few assists he provided. That was the only change from when he started and up to this point.</p><p>
  <em>Could it be possible…?</em>
</p><p>When he integrated himself into the system to avoid deletion, Technus had inadvertently bound himself to play by the system's advanced intuitive programming. By doing so, he had limited himself and unintentionally locked away most of his ghostly abilities. However, it appears that there were loopholes he could exploit. No matter how advanced the programming was, his very existence inside the coding was an anomaly.</p><p>Like a virus evolving within the host, he would soon return to his peak form.</p><p>But first, he had to grow and gain more experience. He managed to unlock his intangibility but he needed more in order to truly be in a dominant position. These party raids were grossly inefficient. The Experience Points the monsters gave out after defeat were already small in amount and even those were divided among the party, decreasing the amount even further. He needed a more expedient process.</p><p>Technus gazed over the bunch of players who were now squabbling over item drops as they looted every corpse they could find. What truly drew his notice was the designation that floated above their heads.</p><p>
  <em>[Level 47 Barbarian]</em>
</p><p>
  <em>[Level 38 Druid]</em>
</p><p>
  <em>[Level 42 Cleric]</em>
</p><p>
  <em>[Level 41 Wizard]</em>
</p><p>
  <em>[Level 37 Rogue]</em>
</p><p>"Hey, good job gramps. See you're learning!" The Paladin leader of their little group said cheerfully.</p><p>
  <em>[Level 49 Paladin]</em>
</p><p>"Yes, I am."</p><hr/><p>"Wohoo! Look at me Trinket! I'm over here! Now, I'm not!"</p><p>Danny felt a tap on his shoulder and he couldn't help but sigh. It hadn't been funny the first three times and he doubted anything changed in the last ten minutes. He reluctantly looked over his shoulder and big surprise, Tara had already zipped away while giggling to herself. She was like a kid who managed to swipe some sweets before bed.</p><p>"You do know that those boots have limited uses per day, right?"</p><p>All he got in response was a raspberry.</p><p>"Wow, you're a literal child."</p><p>"Sorry, can't hear you." Tara teased. "I'm moving faster than sound!"</p><p>There was another rustling of leaves as Tara zoomed past him. Trinket had already gotten woozy watching his owner move back and forth their little campsite at hyper speed. Danny noticed that Tara wasn't paying attention to where she was moving and decided not to tell her of a tree root sticking up from the ground.</p><p>Danny failed to hold back his laughter as she ate dirt and leaves not long after.</p><p>"A little warning would've been nice." Tara scowled at him.</p><p>"Didn't you hear me? Oh wait that's right, you couldn't. You <em>were </em>moving faster than sound after all. By the way, you have something in your hair."</p><p>"Jerk!" She threw a handful of leaves at him and stomped over to where Trinket was so that she could give him some much deserved pets and scratches. She also began to pick the errant leaves and twigs tangled in her blonde locks. "What time is Ron supposed to get here?"</p><p>"He's running a bit late." Danny admitted, checking the built in clock in the game. "So, you got a game plan to snag him from Zita yet?"</p><p>Tara groaned into Trinket's fur. "No! He could be here at any minute but I still have no idea how to get his attention. What if I'm not his type? Ugh, I'm so nervous."</p><p>Trinket tried to nuzzle her with his big nose in comfort, sensing his master's distress.</p><p>"Aww, thanks buddy!"</p><p>"How about you just talk to him for a start?" Danny suggested.</p><p>"Uh, hello? I do talk to him. We're on the cheer team together."</p><p>"Oh really? What do you guys talk about?"</p><p>"You know…stuff."</p><p>Danny raised an eyebrow.</p><p>"Cheer team stuff!"</p><p>Danny scoffed as he kicked off the tree he was leaning against to plop down on the other side of Trinket's massive form. He leaned back into the bear's fur. "Pretty sure Ron has a life outside the team. Maybe you could start with literally anything else besides cheerleading."</p><p>"Since when are you the dating expert?" Tara said. "You go on one date with Monique, or Kitty technically, and suddenly you're a love guru. FYI, I've been on more dates than you."</p><p>"Then why are you so worried?"</p><p>There was a short pause before her reply. "Ron's…different from most guys. He's weird but in a good way. Other boys are nice to look at and having six pack abs is always a bonus in my books but Ron really stepped up back in that stupid Camp Wannaweep. You should've seen him. He was so scared the entire time but in the end, he was the one who pulled us all out of there. Bonnie doesn't give him enough credit but that was when I started to give him second looks. He was cute before but now…" She trailed off and cleared her throat. "Sorry for rambling."</p><p>
  <em>Huh, so her feelings were a bit more serious than he assumed.</em>
</p><p>Crushes were a dime a dozen, especially in high school. He had his own back before all his ghost powers and he was sure the girls did too. He remembered Bonnie always becoming tight-lipped whenever the topic came up. He wondered who she had in mind back then or if she had already moved on. He certainly did when Amelia graduated and he never got the courage to even talk to her. Being a freshman and her being a junior at the time would intimidate anybody.</p><p>Hearing Tara express her thoughts about Ron, it got him thinking about his own situation involving a certain teen hero. Was this merely a passing infatuation or could there be something more? Was it fair to try for a relationship with Kim when he had this much baggage?</p><p>Tara teasingly called him a love guru but that statement couldn't be further from the truth. She had him beat in that department because at least she was willing to take a chance. Nobody wanted to be put into a vulnerable position, least of all in front of someone they admired. Ron clearly still had eyes for Zita yet here she was, risking rejection despite the fact. She was braver than Danny was at the moment.</p><p>"You'll be fine." Danny said after a bout of silence between them.</p><p>Sparking arcane energy made them both jump to their feet with their weapons drawn. Trinket snarled at the ball of swirling light that seemed to expand wider and wider. Danny relaxed as soon as a familiar blonde bard stumbled through the portal and face planted. Another figure stepped out as well after Ron before the portal vanished.</p><p>"Sorry I'm late. But guess what? I got help!" Ron gestured to the tiny wizard beside him. It took him a second to recognize Wade as the diminutive wizard smiled up at him.</p><p>"What a coincidence, so did I." Danny said.</p><p>"Hi, Ron." Tara smiled warmly at him.</p><p>"Oh, hey."</p><p>Danny glanced between the hesitant ranger and the oblivious bard before turning to the looming mountain ahead of them. Maybe the long trek will give them enough time to talk. As long as an undead dragon didn't kill them first.</p><hr/><p>"Whew, you really pulled out all the stops tonight hun!" James Possible sighed contentedly before letting out a burp that he covered with his hand. "Excuse me."</p><p>Kim couldn't help but agree with the sentiment. If she wasn't too concerned with maintaining her lithe figure, she wouldn't mind another slice of that tiramisu. Her brothers on the other hand had no such qualms and were happily getting their second helpings, bickering over who got the corner piece. It was a special occasion indeed when mom busted out her specialty lasagna along with a choice dessert.</p><p>"Well, it's been a while since all of us had the time to eat together as a family so I thought why not?" Mom said. "I'm not one to name names but some of us have only been home for a few hours at a time lately."</p><p>Dad chuckled as he wiped his mouth with a napkin. "Guilty as charged. You know how it is."</p><p>"Come on dad, can't you tell us a little bit about your top secret project?" Jim said.</p><p>"Yeah, is it another rocket?" Tim added. "If it is, can you bring home some more of that experimental booster fuel?"</p><p>"I could spill the beans but then I'd have to…" Dad swiped a finger across his neck and chuckled. Kim rolled her eyes at the corny joke. "But in all seriousness boys I'd probably get suspended if I told anyone outside of the team I'm working with. Good news is you won't have to wait long to find out eventually."</p><p>"And what's this about experimental booster fuel?" Mom's eyes narrowed at the twins.</p><p>The two boys shared a look before shoveling more dessert into their mouths, choosing to dodge the question entirely.</p><p>A disgruntled yell from upstairs caught the family's attention.</p><p>"What on Earth is Ronald doing up there?" Dad asked.</p><p>"He's playing this silly online game to impress a girl at school." Kim explained. "Apparently his computer at home crashed and he asked if he could borrow mine for the night."</p><p>"Whatever happened to good old fashioned poetry or song to ask someone out?" Dad shook his head.</p><p>"In any case, bring him a plate Kim." Mom told her. "I don't think he's had dinner yet."</p><p>"Sure thing."</p><p>Once she helped clean up a bit, the redhead went upstairs with a plate of food for her friend. From the sounds of incessant yelling in her room, it sounded like things were not going as smoothly as he hoped.</p><p>"Ah! There's too many of them!" Ron said into the headset while furiously clicking the mouse and pushing keys. He was so focused on the screen that he didn't even register her coming in.</p><p>She set the lasagna down on her bedside table and came up behind Ron to watch. The monitor was a jumbled mess of health bars, numbers, and flashing spells. It was hard to follow what was happening in the first few minutes but she got the gist…some of it at least.</p><p>Ron was controlling his avatar and was furiously playing on a flute that gave his teammates some sort of boost against the horde of undead that they were fighting. A blonde archer was sending volleys of magical arrows into large groups while a large grizzly bear swatted down anyone who came close. Large explosions rocked the battlefield as a tiny form garbed in mystical robes was lobbing fireballs into the mass. Meanwhile, hulking forms of enemies would just suddenly drop after a blur of shadows passed by.</p><p>"Looks like you're having fun." Kim commented.</p><p>"Kinda busy here KP." Ron said, absently. Rufus was helping him by jumping onto her keyboard once in a while. "Talk to you in a sec."</p><p>She sighed and decided to fish out her communicator. "Hey Wade, you wouldn't happen to have any missions lined up today, would you?"</p><p>"Huh, what?" The ten year-old seemed to be distracted. "Oh, hey Kim. Uh, sorry but everything seems pretty quiet as of late. I'll be sure to tell you if something—Ron get back! I'm going to use another Thunder Wave."</p><p>Kim frowned and turned to her best friend. She partially freed one of his ears from the headset. "You dragged Wade into your little dating scheme?"</p><p>"Hey, I didn't twist his arm or anything!" Ron said, refusing to take his eyes off the screen. "I mean all he's doing is helping me with this quest. Honest!"</p><p>"Yeah, figured he could use some help after the stunt he pulled a few days ago." Wade spoke up from her communicator. "Ron's been the hot topic in the Everlot forums lately and everyone's placing bets on whether he succeeds or fails. I just thought it would be fun to tag along. Plus, who knows what kind of loot I could get up in a Dracolich's lair? Personally I hope there's a spell scroll I can add to my arsenal."</p><p>"See? No harm, no foul." Ron sighed in relief as it looked like the final enemy got picked off by an arrow. Kim raised an eyebrow as she saw the username of the female archer.</p><p>"I didn't know Tara played this game."</p><p>Ron shrugged. "Me neither but Danny invited her along. She rocks at this game. She's been helping me out a lot!"</p><p>Gee, she wondered why. It was no secret among the cheerleaders that Tara had been getting quite friendly with the team's mascot after the Wannaweep debacle. She wouldn't be surprised if the bubbly blonde's inclusion was more her idea rather than Danny's.</p><p>Speaking of whom, she still had no idea how to sort out her feelings about the boy. She planned on asking him out the other day but it obviously didn't happen as she expected. In a strange way, she was sort of relieved that she didn't get a chance to. It felt like she was forcing herself to jump into a situation she wasn't truly ready for.</p><p>
  <em>Ugh, why is this so complicated?</em>
</p><p>She liked Danny as a person well enough but was that all there was to him? Maybe if he wasn't so damn mysterious all the time, things would be much simpler. In any case, at least she had a bit of breathing room to steel her resolve. Hopefully, she would come to a decision soon.</p><hr/><p>
  <em>This is going about as well as I expected.</em>
</p><p>Danny barely dodged out of the way of the massive skeletal tail that slammed into the ground. It had already managed to strike him once, costing him huge amount of hit points in a single swing. If only he still had his Boots of Haste, this thing would barely be able to touch him while he darted in and out of the melee.</p><p>The Dracolich wasted no time once they stepped foot into its domain. Without tanks or healers in their party, they had to rely on evasion. Ron had a few minor healing spells at his disposal but not enough to make a noticeable difference. One or two hits would be game over.</p><p>Danny darted to the side once again to avoid getting clipped by the creature's large wings as it turned to face the spell caster. Wade was coming in clutch with his AOE and damage dealing spells. The tiny wizard was zipping through the air, keeping good distance. Meanwhile, streaks of arcane arrows were raining down from a rocky outcropping within the cavern.</p><p>"Ron! Hurry up and find its phylactery!" Danny saw an opening and unleashed a series of strikes on the Dracolich's hind leg before rolling to the side. "We can't keep this up!"</p><p>"I'm trying! Pressuring me isn't going to help!"</p><p>"Danny, don't be so hard on him. He's doing his best." Tara said. The Dracolich's massive head swiveled to her once it realized that there was easier prey on the ground than the flying wizard. "But, uh, maybe pick up the pace a little!"</p><p>"Why is there so much stuff back here!"</p><p>The sound of various treasure being tossed about echoed along with the roar of an angry skeletal dragon.</p><p>"How's it looking Wade?" Danny asked, barely getting another swipe as the Dracolich shifted positions at the last minute. Off to the side, Trinket was taking his own attacks against the creature but it was clear who it saw as the larger threats.</p><p>"Well, I'm running out of mana and I just drank my last health potion."</p><p>"I've got one left. Ron's buffs are starting to wear off and it still has half of its hp."</p><p>Danny heard the ten-year-old sighed. "Guess I'm going to have to find another quest to replenish my equipment after this."</p><p>Truth be told, he wasn't looking forward to that either. Ever since the sequel came out, the game introduced the system where if a player dies, they respawn at their last checkpoint but their current equipment would be left as spoils of war. If they were lucky, they could retrace their steps to reclaim their old items unless someone else got to it first. It was why PvP became more prevalent in this installment as fights often broke out over rare items and weapons the other players have.</p><p>"Boys! Less talking and more hitting please!" Tara said. She dived out of her hiding spot and tucked into a roll as a large crackling bolt of lightning shot of out the creature's mouth. "And FYI, I am NOT losing my equipment to this stupid dragon so get your asses in here!"</p><p>"She's scary." Wade said.</p><p>"You have no idea." Danny agreed. "But I've got incentive to keep her alive. After all, she has my Boots of Haste."</p><p>"I heard that!"</p><p>Chuckling to himself, he downed his last potion. It didn't bring him back to full but it would have to be enough. "Let's kill this thing. Keep him busy for me."</p><p>Seeming to pick up on his words, the Dracolich turned to them and let out a defiant roar.</p><p>He had a plan. A crazy one but it might just be enough to tip the scales.</p><p>Wade muttered an incantation under his breath and held out his hand where a bright flash of light filled the space in an instant. Danny had enough sense to realize what he was up to and averted his gaze at the last minute to avoid being blinded. The Dracolich stumbled back, disoriented by the sudden burst. In the distance, Tara seized the opening and unleashed another volley from her new perch.</p><p>While Tara and Wade continued to pepper the creature with ranged attacks, he stealthily made his way over to where the tail was swinging dangerously back and forth.</p><p>Danny whistled over to Trinket. "Over here buddy."</p><p>The bear lumbered over to where he was, skirting the dragon's melee range.</p><p>"Okay Trinket, I need you to do something bud." Danny explained. "When that tail swings at me, I need you to bite down on it as hard as you can and don't let it go, alright?"</p><p>The bear growled something which he took was a yes.</p><p>"You are the best fluffy boy."</p><p>Timing was key. A concept applicable to almost all videogames. No matter how good the visuals were, the game still abides by its programming. The Dracolich tended to favor a tail swing attack once it expended it's breathe weapon and he didn't have to wait long to be proven correct. He rolled out of the way as the large boney appendage slammed into the ground. "Now Trinket!"</p><p>The bear let out a ferocious snarl as his maw clamped onto a piece of the large spikes protruding from the tail.</p><p>"Good boy!"</p><p>Danny vaulted off Trinket, using his large bulk to land on the portion of the tail. He dashed forward, rushing on top of the large monster and being extremely mindful of his footing. His daggers flashed as he worked his way up to the large boney head. Leaping over the horns, he pivoted at the last moment and drove his two blades as deep as he could into the two empty eye sockets.</p><p>The undead dragon screeched in agony as a large chunk of its health was chipped away thanks to his critical strike activating at the opportune moment. Unfortunately for Danny, his victory was short lived as he was forcefully bucked off. He struck the ground hard enough to lose some health in the process.</p><p>"Danny, get out of there!"</p><p>He heard Tara's warning around the same time he glanced up to see the open jaws of the Dracolich hovering above him, crackling with magic energy.</p><p>"Ah, crap."</p><p>The sound of shattering glass echoed around the cavern. They all turned to the source only to find their fourth party member with his arm hanging poised like he threw something on the ground. Sure enough, scattered all over the floor were shards of a smoking magical phylactery.</p><p>"Booyah!"</p><hr/><p>Lunch was an interesting affair the next day. Ron gained instant celebrity status in the Everlot gaming community once he delivered proof of a dead Dracolich to the town. Internet gaming forums exploded with activity about Ron's amazing feat. The man of the hour was currently surrounded by other students all vying for his attention and some of them were even urging him to join their adventuring parties. From what he could tell, it seemed like he was doing an epic retelling of his victory.</p><p>Unfortunately, not everyone was as enthused by Ron's triumph. Malcolm had a near permanent scowl directed at the blonde from the other end of that table.</p><p>"Ugh, look at him being all smug." Bonnie rolled her eyes at the scene. "I swear his head grew three sizes."</p><p>"Let him have his moment." Danny said, taking a bite of his BLT. "He earned it. Plus, Tara doesn't seem to mind."</p><p>He gestured over to where the girl was sitting beside Ron, laughing at his antics and shooting daggers at Zita on the other side of the boy when no one was looking. Tara pretended to be enraptured by Ron's story despite playing a huge role in it. Each of the party members had their own reasons for not revealing their involvement and letting Ron have the spotlight.</p><p>"That's because she's blinded by infatuation. I give it two weeks before she realizes she can do better."</p><p>Danny shrugged. At this point, he fulfilled both of his obligations so he really didn't have much stake in this matter anymore. Both blondes got what they wanted and now it was up to them to make their moves. It was already a win in his books considering their characters didn't die and they were able to keep all their equipment in addition to the new loot from the lair. Wade certainly seemed pleased with his new Staff of Power at least.</p><p>However, his good mood took a bit of a dive as Josh passed by in his peripheral. Danny made a point of avoiding any potential eye contact by staring resolutely ahead.</p><p>"You really need to get a handle on that." Bonnie said, noticing his averted gaze. "It's been a week. Don't you think he might start suspecting something?"</p><p>"Can we please change the subject? It's still…a sore spot." Danny unconsciously rubbed his side. The stab wound had closed long ago but he could still remember the feeling of the blade being inserted. The hatred in his friend's eyes, if they could even call themselves that anymore, burned in his memory.</p><p>He felt a warm hand lightly fall on top of his shoulder.</p><p>"I'm sorry for bringing it up. I'm just concerned." Bonnie said. "He's not stupid Danny. I think it'll be better if you nip this in the bud now rather than later."</p><p>Danny nodded. He agreed with her wholeheartedly. If Josh learned about his true nature before he could reason with him, who knows what the blonde would do.</p><p>There was still the matter of where he acquired some ghost hunting tech. He knew his parents would never part with any of their gear so easily and the designs were somewhat different than their usual inventions. The Fentons were considered the leading ghost experts but that implies the existence of others and the fact that Josh possibly had contact with any of them was troubling.</p><p>Two hands slamming on the table startled him back to the present. Tara looked frantically at both of them as words spilled from her mouth like a torrent. She spoke so fast and erratically that he couldn't make heads or tails of it.</p><p>He and Bonnie shared a look and they both ushered her into an empty seat. Bonnie offered her a bottled water from her tray. "Let's take it from the top Tara because I didn't understand a word you said."</p><p>"Thanks." Tara handed her back the water and took a deep breath. "Okay, so Ron wanted to ask Zita out but she beat him to the punch because she invited him to this Everlot game event downtown before he could say anything—of course he said yes but I couldn't let that happen so I invited myself to their outing. Ron was conflicted so I'll call that a win and Zita didn't mind but here's the thing, I'm kind of nervous and I don't want to blow it so Danny could you please come with me? Please, please, pretty please! This'll be the last time I promise!"</p><p>He pinched the bridge of his nose. A part of him already knew he was going to regret this. Danny stared at her pouting face long and hard.</p><p>"Give me back my Boots of Haste and I'll do it."</p><p>"Deal!"</p><hr/><p>"You motherfu—!"</p><p>Another flash of green engulfed the druid and like the others, she fell. Her corpse now joined the other members of their fallen party. The Paladin had been the first to go, having been the most trusting, followed by the barbarian and the mage. Their cleric died soon after when he reached the limit of his healing due to depleted mana. They had just killed a Chimera, the designated boss of this particular dungeon, when the snake in their midst decided to strike. It was such a dick move to pull that the rogue should've expected it.</p><p>
  <em>[Level up!]</em>
</p><p>"Hey, man. Can't we work this out?" The surviving rogue pleaded. He really, <em>really</em> didn't want to lose all his hard earned magic items. It had taken him months to get to this level and now he feared it would all be undone by this asshole. "Come on. I wasn't a total dick to you right? I saved your ass a couple times. Remember when I pulled you out of the way of a trip wire? Good times. You want gold? Take it. Hell, I don't even want the loot but please man let me go!"</p><p>The sorcerer merely laughed. "What is it you kids say these days? Hate the game not the player?"</p><p>Almost as if he was mocking him, the sorcerer cast the weakest damage dealing spell in his arsenal. The rogue's HP was so low that it was enough to do the trick. Even if he decided to put in a last ditch effort, it would've been useless against the sorcerer. All their attacks at several points in their battle just phased through the sorcerer harmlessly. There was no way a spell was able to do that and even if the game developers made one, there had to be a cooldown period or something. But there never seemed to be a limit.</p><p>Death by the hands of a cheater was such a lame way to go.</p><p>Before he was shunted back to his last saved point, the sorcerer's laughter seemed to echo along with the ping of someone gaining a new level.</p><p>
  <em>[Level up!]</em>
</p><p>
  <em>[Username: Technus]</em>
</p><p>
  <em>[Level 30 Sorcerer]</em>
</p><p>"Fuck it. Fuck that guy and fuck this game I'm playing something else!"</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>And there we have it. I'm sorry for (sigh) another delay. Sad to say my writing schedule is never as consistent as I want it to be. That's why I have so much respect for all the authors who can post at least once a week. Those guys are the real heroes.</p><p>Sad to say Bonnie took a bit of a backseat in this chapter. But not for long.</p><p>Also, Technus' powers were always a bit vague. He can control technology is the gist of it but he could get trapped in a game file that isn't even related to ghost hunting? Danny trapped him in the "Level 0" in the original series so….my best reasoning is he CAN be affected by programming and stuff but he can also use his ghost powers to some degree. I'm not completely sure but that's how I'm rolling with it. Anyway, hope you enjoyed as things are now ramping up.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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